LIBRAt* 

F  CALIFORNIA 

TiAVIS 


fit 


THE     PEOPLE 

BY 

jonpl  MCDOWELL  LEVITT,  D.D. 

FjBYIEW 


OP  THE 

AND 

OP  LiEHIGH 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFOR1&4 
PAVJS 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1885,  by 

JOHN  S.  WILLEY  PUBLISHING  COMPANY,. 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


PREFACE. 

THE  writer  of  these  books  has  been  impressed  with 
the  conviction  that  only  FICTION  can  reach  certain  mon 
strous  evils  in  our  American  Society.  He  has,  in  the 
Saviour  Himself,  an  example  of  the  inimitable  use  of 
the  imagination  for  the  loftiest  spiritual  ends.  Who 
can  estimate  the  blessing  of  those  marvelous  creations 
of  the  Baptist  Tinker  which  have  shed  light  on  the 
path  of  so  many  pilgrims  to  the  celestial  city  ?  Nor 
does  the  humor  detract  from  the  power  and  solemnity 
of  the  lesson.  De  Foe,  in  his  Robinson '  Crusoe,  has 
given  fresh  charm  to  childhood,  and  a  purer  and 
brighter  halo  to  home.  Dickens  and  Thackeray  have 
not  only  amused,  but  improved  mankind.  Uncle  Tom's 
Cabin  was  an  agency  of  genius  in  rending  the 
chains  from  millions  of  slaves,  and  proved  thus  one  of 
the  regenerators  of  a  nation.  Smile  and  tear  in  man 

lie   close  together,  and  hence,   in  those   immortal   works 
V  v 


VI 


PREFACE. 


the    Comic    and    the    Tragic    Muse    have   been    equally 
employed  for  the  most  beneficent  moral  purposes. 

In  a  distant  way,  the  author  of  these  tales  would 
follow  in  the  path  of  writers,  who,  through  fiction,  have 
accomplished  good.  He  has  had  peculiar  opportunities 
for  the  study  of  the  evils  he  seeks  to  rebuke  and  to 
mitigate.  Each  striking  incident  and  character  in  both 
novels  can  be  verified  from  his  own  observation  and 
memory.  To  the  suggestive  second  chapter  he  bea*rs 
special  personal  witness.  In  satirizing  the  shocking 
perversions  of  church  relations  to  unscrupulous  worldly 
ends,  he  would  assist  that  Christianity  which  he  believes 
can  alone  save  men  and  nations.  The  great  object  of 
his  life  has  been  to  prove  the  inspiration  and  authority 
of  the  Bible.  And  now,  after  thirty-five  years  in  the 
ministry,  in  virtual  retirement  from  clerical  and  colle 
giate  work,  he  asks  aid  of  all  good  citizens  in  this 
effort  to  correct  some  of  the  enormous  social  abuses 
of  our  nation. 


CONTENTS. 


KINGS  OF  CAPITAL; 

CHAPTER  I. 
Arlington  Castle: 

English  Investments  in  American  Securities — Middle  Men — 
Landlordism — Free  Trade  or  Protection — "  Jobbers  Never 
Make  Heroes  " — Royal  Figure-Heads — The  American  Eagle 
turned  Buzzard — A  Nation,  Young  in  Years,  but  Old  in 
Corruption.  -  -  19 

CHAPTER  II. 
Sam  Slykes: 

American  Sharpness — "  Money's  the  Go,  Church  and  State" — 
Making  Money  on  Borrowed  Piety — The  Modern  Press, 
its  Use  and  Abuse — Financial  Intoxication.  -  37 

CHAPTER  III. 
The  Livingstones: 

The  Mirror  of  a  Lifetime — Reputation  versus  Duty — Buying 
Legislation — Municipal  Rings  and  Corrupt  Corporations.  61 

CHAPTER  IY. 

Poverty: 

The  Helplessness  in  Poverty  of  those  once  Rich — "O! 
Poverty,  among  the  many  bitter  ingredients  that  thou  hast 
in  thy  most  bitter  cup,  thou  hast  not  one  so  insupportably 
bitter  as  that  which  brings  us  in  close  and  hourly  contact 

with  bustling,  plotting,  planning,  human  vulgarity."         -        80 

vii 


yjjj  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  Y. 
Yillont's  Den  : 

"  You  Own  the  Man  whose  Crime  you  Know."  92 

CHAPTER  YL 
Brother  and  Sister : 

Dreams,  Confessions  and  Conclusions.  -      102 

CHAPTER  YII. 
Railway  Conference : 

Seeing  Sharp  but  not  Far — Passionate  Folly  versus 
Passionless  Prudence.  ....  117 

CHAPTER  YIIL 
Lord  Arlington's  Death : 

Courtesy  Veils  a  Vicious  Heart — From  High  Fortune  to 
Abject  Wretchedness — Pampered  by  Wealth,  Schooled  by 
Poverty.  -  -  128 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Judge  Livingstone's  Study : 

Pen  Picture  of  a  Happy  Home — Abandonment  of  Purpose  not 
only  Misses  its  End  but  Injures  the  Character — Manhood  in 
America  must  Stand  on  Itself,  not  on  the  Accidents  of  Birth 
or  Estate — Monied  Snobbery.  -  144 

CHAPTER  X. 
Sam  Slyke's  Courtship : 

Palaces  are  ofttimes  Monuments  of  Sorrow — "  Strength  never 
Fails  to  Find  its  Test"— With  Woman,  to  Hesitate  is 
to  Yield  -  -  •;..  -  .  _  ,  .'  158 


CONTENTS.  ix 

CHAPTER  XI. 
Dr.  Solomon  and  Mrs.  PilMlson : 

Elevated  Railroads — Corporate  Infringement  of  Private 
Eights.  -  -  176 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Lyman  Risk's  Marriage : 

"O,  how  Guilt  opens  Graves  along  Evil  Lives  and  brings 
forth  Skeletons  to  Mock  and  Leer;  Our  very  Thoughts 
become  our  Tormentors."  -  -  .  -  -  193 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Inter-Oceanic  Safe  Entered  : 

"Fortune  Befriends  the  Bold" — Working  and  Trusting — 
Removing  the  Masks.  -  206 

CHAPTER  XIY. 
The  Divorce: 

Duped  and  Victimized — Our  Friend  the  Tool  of  our  Enemies 
— Friends  in  Need — Conscience  Amply  Rewards  those  who 
do  their  Duty —  Rising  Equal  to  the  Occasion — "  Bestowed 
by  Affection;  Torn  away  by  Fraud;  Restored  by  Chivalry."  217 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Inter-Oceanic  Depot  Conflagration: 

The  Recklessness  of  Despair.  ...      235 

CHAPTER  XYI. 
Newport: 

"  True  Love  Levels  Mountains  " — "  The  Missing  Link  between 
the  Extremes  of  Society" — "John  Bull's  Idea  of  Uncle 
Sam."  -  -  -  -  -  ...  249 


x  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XYIL 
Feast  in  a  Jail: 

"  With  Four  Hundred  Thousand  to  my  Credit  in  Europe,  I 
Don't  Fear  any  Penitentiary  in  America  " — Reminiscences  of 
Criminals.  -  -  266 

CHAPTER  XYIII. 
Love  on  the  Moonlit  Sea: 

The  Union  of  True  Hearts  the  Foundation  of  Society.         -      281 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
The  Queen's  Letter: 

Eoyal  Eecognition — Corporate  Tyranny  Worse  than  Kingly 
Oppression — Tendency  to  Communism — Assassinations 
Never  Help  Liberty — Party  Bolters  as  Powerless  and 
Solitary  as  our  Obelisk — The  Instincts  of  our  People  the 
Guide  of  our  Nation — America  the  Outcome  of  the  Wis 
dom  of  the  World.  -  -  291 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Frank  and  Lucy  at  Arlington  Castle: 

Conclusion.    ----...      300 


CONTENTS. 

PART  II. 


KNIGHTS    OF    LABOR. 

CHAPTER  I. 
The  Battery: 

The  Stolen  Children — Begging  for  Masters — Money  or  the 
Lash— The  Stranger  and  the  Nihilist.  -  299 

CHAPTER  II. 
The  Eagle: 

The  Model  Locomotive — The  Mechanic's  Triumph — Cutting 
Wages — Discontented  Workmen — Down  with  Capital  and 
Up  with  Labor — The  Great  Strike — Dynamite  won't  take 
in  America — The  Laborer  becomes  a  Capitalist.  -  311 

CHAPTER  III. 
The  Brothers: 

"Born  in  the  same  Hour,  Nurtured  at  the  same  Breast, 
Kissed  by  the  same  Lips,  Tried  by  the  same  Tempta 
tions,  the  One  becomes  the  Impersonation  of  all  that  is 
Good  in  Human  Nature,  the  Other  of  all  that  is  Evil."  328 

CHAPTER  IY, 
Edward  Stewart: 

The  Link  between  Muscle  and  Brain — Predictions — Money 
Cannot  Create  Talent — Impersonation  of  American  Snob 
bery — The  Kespect  won  by  a  Citizen  greater  than  the 

'   Obeisance   accorded  to  a  Monarch.  -      345 

xi 


xj-  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  Y. 
Washington- 

Our  National  Capitol — A  Criticism  on  American  Art— The 
Last  and  Best  Type  of  Manhood  Produced  by  the  Com 
mingling  of  Nations— No  National  Name  for  Americans — 
Public  Responsibility  of  Universities— Carl;  le  Snarling 
from  his  Gloom  "Might  is  Right  "  at  once  Justifies  the 
Tyrant  and  the  Assassin.  ...  364 

CHAPTER  YI. 
On  the  Ocean: 

Waifs  of  Misery  are  Drifted  to  our  Shores  by  Currents  of 
Sorrow  from  all  Lands — "Ah1  Nations  Rubbin  agin'  one 
another  makes  Blades  Bright  and  Edges  Keen."  -  384 

CHAPTER  YII. 
Belle  Standfast: 

Wealth  Gives  Social  Position — Riches  a  Shield  for  Vice — 
Playing  with  Fire — I  Love  Him  but  Cannot  Trust  Him 
—A  Temple  of  Pleasure.  ....  404 

CHAPTER  YIII. 
The  Anvil: 

Good  Ends  by  Wrong  Means — Standing  between  Capital  and 
Labor — The  Responsibility  of  Position — The  Security  of 
Society  Rests  on  the  Prosperity  of  the  Masses — Contentment 
of  Labor  Better  than  Anxiety  of  Riches.  -  -  419 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Naval  Academy: 

Life  on  the  Ocean  Wave — Overwork  and  Under-grub — White 
Sails  and  Black  Hulls — Public  Benefaction  by  Private 
Oppression — The  Mastery  of  Genius — Political  Menagerie — 
Ode  to  the  Stars  of  the  Republic.  -  -  -  432 


CONTENTS.  Xlil. 

CHAPTER  X. 
Faded  Beauty: 

The  Wages  of  Sin — The  Passions  of  a  Moment  "Wreck  a 
Life — Man's  Inhumanity  to  Woman — The  Joys  of  Nature 
Mock  the  Sorrowing  Heart.  ...  450 

CHAPTER  XI. 
The  Sunny  South: 

The  Harmony  of  Youth  and  Nature — Liberty  Awakes  Joyous 
Notes — A  Child's  Belief  in  Books— The  Theology  of 
Children.  -  ...  461 

CHAPTER  XII. 
Marriage  and  Madness: 

An  Evil  Associate  Worse  than  a  Loathsome  Disease — Evil 
Follows  Good,  Grief  Follows  Joy,  Despair  Follows  Hope, 
and  Death  Follows  Life — Evil  Deeds  are  Links  in  a 
Continuous  Chain.  -  -  -  472 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
The  Little  Wanderers  111: 

Gallantry  toward  Women  a  Pledge  of  Universal  Refinement 
—American  Courtesy  —A  Key  to  the  Negro  Problem — The 
Negro  in  Office — The  Emancipation  of  the  Negro  a  Benefit 
or  an  Injury.  -  -  -  491 

CHAPTER  XIY. 
The  Great  Strike's  Triumph  and  Defeat: 

Sons  of  Capital  and  Daughters  of  Labor— Money  Defeated 
by  Principle — " Conscience  Makes  Cowards  of  Us  All" — 
Vice  Misinterpreting  Virtue— Millions  of  Money,  but  Not 
One  True  Friend— Cutting  Wages  and  Raising  Work— 
The  Nihilist's  Speech,  Blood  and  Fire— Virtue  Heaven's 
Shield.  - 517 


XJV  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XY. 
Amid  the  Gold  Mountains: 

America,  the  Home  of  the  Oppressed — The  Yale  of  Para 
dise — A  Young  Hero.  -  -  543 

CHAPTER  XYL 
St.  Petersburg: 

Winter  in  Russia — The  Prince  and  the  Bishop— The  Eman 
cipation  of  the  Serfs — Recruiting  Nihilists — The  Princess 
and  the  Engineer.  -  -  565 

CHAPTER  XYII. 
The  Palace  of  the  Czars: 

Nihilists  in  Committee — One  Century  Avenging  Another — 
Nihilists  Arraignment  of  the  Czar — His  Throne  Not  the 
Altar  of  God.  -  585 

CHAPTER  XYIII. 
The  Emperor  of  Russia: 

Empires  Watching  the  Republic — Americans  Win  Recognition 
Abroad — The  Imperial  Arraignment  of  the  Nihilists.  597 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
A  Russian  Archbishop: 
A  Change  of  Heart— Liberty,  Fraternity,   Equality.         •      607 

CHAPTER  XX. 
The  Russian  Cathedral.          -         -         -         -     612 


STEEl-PLSTE  ENGRSYINGS. 


PAGE. 

NIAGAEA  FALLS .  2 

EARL  OF  ARLINGTON 23 

SARATOGA  LAKE      . 261 

HELL  GATE 299 

TIPPOO 305 

LILLIE 467 

SABBATH  DAY  POINT 613 


xv 


LIST  OF  FULL  PAGE  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PA«R. 

* 'Crowning  the  old  turrets  with  a  dying  glory  " 18 

"With  steam  and  sail,  dashing  over  the  Atlantic"  .......  31 

"Along  a  street  of  the  American  metropolis  " 86 

"  Shammius  Chapel  pays  " .  .  42 

"The  last  thing  extinguished  in  a  degraded  soul  is  the  light  of  a  pure  Christian 

home" 45 

"  I  spent  one  pious  Sunday  " 49 

"  Money  is  the  go,  Church  and  State  " 53 

"  Like  a  good  angel  in  her  young  beauty  crowned  with  a  halo  of  love  and  light  "  60 

"  I  never  saw  them  after  I  left  the  ship  " 70 

"  O  Poverty !  how  fearful  thy  face !  more  than  death  thou  art  the  dread  of  our 

humanity!" 78 

"  Trouble  and  sorrow  established  between  them  confidence  and  sympathy  "  .  .82 

"  From  twilight  to  midnight  the  hoarded  sums  were  counted  with  gloating  eye  "  90 

"  You  own  the  man  whose  crime  you  know  " .96 

"  To  rush  people  through  the  air  across  and  around  our  city  "  ....  115 

"A  leader  in  Parliament " 135 

"  What  more  comfortable  than  a  warm  bright  study  in  a  chill  November  evening  "  141 
"  If  young  America  wants  to  fly  he  don't  care  who  pays  for  the  wings  "  .  .172 

"  The  Inter-Oceanic  Railway  Depot  was  a  ruin  " 231 

"  The  music  of  the  sea  came  to  her  ears  " 245 

"The  face  of  the  king  is  like  his  selfish  and  oppressive  reign  "          ....    257 

xvii 


LIST  OF   FULL   PAGE   ILLUSTKATIONS. 

44  With  Four  Hundred  Thousand  to  m'y  credit  in  Europe,  I  don't  fear  any  peni 
tentiary  in  America "  .        .        •        •        • 270 

"A  letter  beautifully  written,  signed, '  Victoria ' " 286 

"  They've  cut  me  down  to  a  dollar  a  day  " 314 

"  In  the  morning  he  walked  forth  with  the  dawn  to  calm  his  soul "...  344 

" Yon  sublime  dome  is  a  national  triumph" 363 

UA  nation  in  tears  " •  375 

"  She  stands  out  under  full  canvas  down  the  bay  to  the  ocean  "       .       .       .       .385 
"  We  have  health,  comfort  and  a  good  conscience  "   .       .       .       .       .,       „        .460 

"Alas,  for  poor  human  hearts  and  hopes  " 479 

44  In  her  grave  of  waters  " 486 

"  Covered  by  the  cold  clods  forever  from  the  sun  "     .......  488 

"  He  had  retired  to  spend  his  last  days  in  the  old  mansion  and  on  the  old  estate  "  500 
u  In  every  section  of  the  Republic  were  experienced  the  ruinous  effects  of  the 

Great  Strike" 516 

41  Not  in  Europe  are  Kings  and  Princes  worse  in  their  oppression  than  these  rail 
road  tyrants"        532 

4 'Dynamite  bombs  won't  take  in  America"        .        .        .        .        „        .        .       .536 
44  The  Vale  of  Paradise,  amid  those  gigantic  mountains,  standing  like  monarch 

sentinels  robed  in  eternal  verdure  " 542 

"  The  spectacle  of  the  troops  had  inspired  him  "                                                       .  564 

The  Palace  of  the  Czars V      .....  581 

44  Never  had  Alexander  looked  more  like  himself  " 596 

"  The  first  beams  of  the  sun  were  burning  and  dancing  around  the  dome  of  St. 

Isaac's"         ....  .606 


Crowning  the  old  turrets  with  a  dying  glory." 
Page  19. 


CHAPTER  I. 

ARLINGTON    CASTLE. 

RLLNGTON  CASTLE    stands    on  an 
eminence      of      Western     England 
which    commands    a     view    of    the 
opposite  coast  only    in    the  clearest 
sunlight.      It  is    a  mediaeval   struc 
ture,   originally   stern    and    stately, 
but    now    softened    into    grace    and  beauty 
by  the    touch  of  modern   art. 

At  the  opening  of  our  story,  the  sun,  just 
sinking  below  the  sea,  was  flashing  and 
flushing  from  the  gorgeous  windows,  and 
crowning  the  old  turrets  with  a  dying 
glory.  The  white  surf,  breaking  over  the  rocks,  was 
gleaming  in  the  last  beams  of  day,  and  the  thunder  of 
the  sea  was  heard  among  the  hills. 

The  Earl  of  Arlington  was  sitting  on  the  northern 
piazza,  and  his  venerable  form  and  locks  were  also 
transfigured  in  the  farewell  splendors  of  the  sun.  In 
the  circuit  of  that  day  its  light  had  not  shone  into  a 
more  benevolent  face  or  over  a  nobler  person. 

As  he  arose  and  applied  his  telescope  to  his  eye, 
you  saw  in  him  the  best  traits  of  an  ancestry  which 
had  seldom  abused  their  aristocratic  privileges..  Indeed, 


20  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

with    all    his    lordliness,    there    was     in    the    old    noble 
that    touching    kindness    which    wins    the     poor    man's 

heart. 

As  his  granddaughter,  Lucy  Neville,  came  smiling 
round  an  angle  of  the  tower,  the  Earl,  still  gazing 
through  his  telescope,  addressed  her:  "Are  you  sure, 
Lucy,  that  Clare's  telegram  said  that  your  father  would 
arrive  in  the  last  evening  train  ?" 

"  I  am  certain,  grandpapa,"  she  replied,  and,  giving 
him  the  message,  added,  "you  can  see  for  yourself." 

Dropping  his  glass  and  glancing  over  the  paper,  the 
Earl  exclaimed,  "Yes,  you  have  made  no  mistake." 
Then,  raising  his  telescope  and  adjusting  its  tubes,  he 
gazed  intently  into  the  distance,  and  soon  said:  "And 
there  he  comes.  Just  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain  ! 
I  see  the  smoke  of  the  locomotive,  and  now  you  can 
faintly  hear  the  scream  of  the  whistle." 

While  the  Earl  spoke,  a  pair  of  splendid  black  horses 
whirled  the  carriage  around  the  southern  buttress  of 
the  castle,  and  dashed  up  to  the  great  door,  which 
was  standing  hospitably  open.  A  lady  came  hurriedly 
out  and  entered  the  vehicle.  Soon  the  rumbling  of 
wheels  and  the  tramping  of  horses  were  lost  in  the 
distance,  and  there  was  a  race  for  the  station  be 
tween  two  fiery  steeds  and  the  rushing  locomotive. 

"Emily,"  said  Lord  Arlington,  "will  be  too  late  to 
welcome  Oscar  as  he  steps  from  the  train.  She  always 
splits  her  seconds  so  as  to  leave  too  little  on  her  own 
side.  But  I  know  no  one  better  fitted  to  compete  with 
steam  and  lightning.  " 


ARLINGTON   CASTLE.  21 

"Ma  will  not  fail,"  said  Lucy,  with  a  slight  laugh 
and  a  quiet  assurance  in  her  tone.  "  Prince  and  Duke 
catch  her  spirit  and  will  fly  along  the  road.  I  am  sure 
that  they  will  be  at  the  station,  with  a  minute  to 
spare." 

Just  then  the  headlight  of  the  locomotive  was  seen 
around  a  curve  of  the  mountain,  glancing  and  quiver 
ing  through  the  evening  gloom,  and  not  long  after,  the 
carriage,  flashing  through  the  gate  and  over  the  white 
gravel  of  the  green  lawn,  stood  again  at  the  door  of 
the  castle.  Lucy  darted  forward,  rushed  over  the  piazza, 
and  was  speedily  in  the  arms  of  her  father,  and  show 
ering  him  with  her  tears  and  kisses.  Lord  Arlington 
followed,  and  if  not  so  demonstrative  and  enthusiastic, 
was  as  sincere  and  as  truly  ardent  in  his  welcome. 

The  violence  of  Mrs.  Neville's  feelings  had  subsided, 
and  she  was  resting  and  luxuriating  in  the  silent  tran 
quillity  of  her  joy. 

While  the  party  are  continuing  their  caresses  and 
making  and  answering  inquiries,  we  will  take  occasion 
to  acquaint  the  reader  with  the  persons  who  have 
been  the  subject  of  this  brief  recital. 

Captain  Oscar  Neville  and  his  bride  had  gone  to 
India  many  years  before  and  seen  there  the  rough 
trials  of  military  life,  and  mingled  in  the  most  fearful 
perils  and  the  most  daring  adventures  of  the  Sepoy 
war.  She  was  then  the  youngest  and  fairest  of  the 
daughters  of  the  Earl  of  Arlington,  and  was  now  their 
sole  survivor,  all  her  sisters  having  been  followed  to 
the  grave  in  her  absence. 


22  KINGS  OF  CAPITAL. 

Lucy  had  been  born  in  the  sacred  city  of  Benares, 
on  the  banks  of  the  Ganges,  under  the  gleam  of  cres 
cents  and  the  shadows  of  pagodas.  She  had  passed 
with  her  parents  through  the  horrors  of  Lucknow,  and 
the  raptures  of  the  relief,  and  many  other  scenes  of 
blood  and  famine.  Captain  Neville  himself  had  fought 
with  heroic  valor  in  all  the  most  memorable  battles  of 
the  campaign  and  been  made  a  colonel  for  his 
bravery,  with  a  prospect  of  speedy  promotion,  and 
even  knighthood,  and  the  very  highest  honors  of  the 
military  profession.  Mrs.  Neville  and  her  daughter  had 
returned  to  England  to  recover  from  the  exhaustions 
of  war  and  climate,  and  had  taken  the  places  of  the 
departed  in  the  home  of  Lord  Arlington.  Her  brother 
Clare,  now  a  member  of  the  House  of  Commons,  was 
the  only  heir  between  herself  and  the  estate.  Owing 
to  the  necessities  of  the  military  situation,  the  return 
of  Colonel  Neville  had  been  delayed,  first  from  month 
to  month,  and  then  from  year  to  year,  until,  after  a 
long  and  painful  separation,  Arlington  Castle  was  at 
last  made  joyful  by  his  presence.  The  surrounding 
neighborhood  had  heard  of  the  arrival,  and  the  lawn 
was  swarming  and  darkening  with  a  noisy  and  happy 
multitude,  while  the  lights  from  trees  and  windows 
and  turrets  illuminated  the  hills  and  blazed  far  out 
over  the  ocean. 

On  the  next  morning,  Lord  Arlington  and  Colonel 
Neville  stood  on  the  lawn  in  eager  conversation.  They 
had  evidently  found  some  topic  of  mutual  and  exciting 
interest,  and  their  eyes  and  faces  glowed  and  kindled 
as  they  talked. 


[EAD3IL  ©tf  A 03  IL OKI  ©If  ©-Ma 


ARLINGTON    CASTLE.  25 

"Are  you  sure/'  inquired  the  Earl,  "that  Clare  said 
that  it  would  be  necessary  for  you  to  visit  America  ? 
This  is  most  unexpected  and  extraordinary." 

"It  is  nevertheless  painfully  true,"  answered  Colonel 
Neville,  and  added,  laughing  a  little  bitterly.  "A 
soldier's  fate  pursues  me.  I  scarcely  touch  the  shores 
of  England  from  the  East,  when  I  am  instantly 
ordered  to  the  far  West." 

"But  what  did  Clare  say?"  asked  the  Earl.  "It 
seems  almost  incredible.  Indeed,  I  do  not  think  that 
any  danger  of  mere  pecuniary  loss  will  justify  your 
absence." 

"He  told  me,"  answered  Colonel  Neville,  "that 
Emily's  one  hundred  thousand  pounds  in  the  INTER 
OCEANIC  EAILWAY  would  probably  be  lost  unless  I  could 
go  in  a  week.  As  this  is  our  only  independent  fund 
I  must  make  a  sacrifice  to  secure  it.  Clare  can  not 
leave  on  account  of  the  Irish  Church  Bill,  without  los 
ing  his  influence  in  Parliament,  and  as  I  am  used  to 
obeying  orders,  I  propose  to  sail  next  week." 

"  So  soon,"  exclaimed  the  Earl,  with  pain  and  sur 
prise.  "I  will  hardly  permit  it.  The  trial  will  be 
too  great  for  Emily.  I  think  she  will  scarcely  consent 
after  so  long  a  separation." 

"O,"  answered  Neville,  "that  is  already  arranged; 
you  may  imagine  how;  Emily  and  Lucy  will  accom 
pany  me  to  the  United  States.  We  expect  to  tele 
graph  this  morning  for  state-rooms  in  the  Britannia,  a 
noble  ship,  which  leaves  Liverpool  next  Wednesday." 

The  Earl  was  startled  and  grieved  by  this  announce^ 


26  KINGS    OF   CAPITAL. 

ment.  His  blood  flushed  over  his  cheeks  and  up  into 
his  forehead,  and  his  eyes  flashed  sparkles,  like  those 
they  had  known  in  his  young  manhood.  He  had 
anticipated  with  silent  delight  the  arrival  of  his  son-in- 
law,  expecting  him  to  shed  light  and  joy  over  his 
home,  and  now  before  him  was  the  prospect  of  sudden 
desertion  and  abandonment  to  entire  loneliness.  Subdu 
ing,  however,  his  excitement,  he  folded  his  arms,  stood 
a  moment  in  deep  meditation,  and  then  gazed  over 
the  landscape.  Colonel  Neville  was  annoyed,  and 
charged  himself  with  abruptness  and  precipitation. 
After  some  minutes  of  thought  and  silence,  the  Earl 
recovered  his  composure  and  suddenly  began  : 

"Neville,  do  you  see  that  house  crowning  the  little 
eminence  just  above  the  stream,  flashing  back  to  us 
the  beams  of  the  morning  sun  ? " 

"I  do,  most  plainly,"  replied  the  Colonel,  "and  a 
more  picturesque  spot  is  not  in  this  whole  valley." 

"That  house,"  continued  the  Earl,  "is  often  in  my 
mind,  and  in  a  way  and  for  reasons  you  cannot  even 
imagine.  Do  you  know  who  lives  in  it  ? " 

"Twenty  years  since,"  said  Colonel  Neville,  smiling 
at  the  strangeness  of  the  Earl's  manner  and  inquiry, 
"I  might  have  answered  in  the  affirmative.  Now, 
however,  I  must  confess  my  ignorance." 

"I  will  tell  you,  Neville,"  replied  the  Earl.  "That 
is  the  home  of  the  agent  of  the  Arlington  Estate. 
He  collects  the  rents  from  my  fields,  my  mines  and 
my  manufactories.  Now,  I  fear  that  just  such  fellows 
are  undermining  old  England  and  producing  our  panics 


ARLINGTON    CASTLE.  27 

and  depressions.  You  think  our  peril  is  from  Russia, 
and  I  think  our  peril  is  from  the  United  States." 

Colonel  Neville  was  more  surprised  than  ever.  He 
perceived  in  Lord  Arlington's  mind  a  species  of  double 
operation,  and  knew  while  he  was  talking  on  one  sub 
ject  he  was  thinking  of  another,  and  also  that  he  was 
drifting  toward  some  unexpected  conclusion.  With  a 
puzzled  look,  at  last  he  said: 

"  My  lord,  you  speak  in  riddles.  I  cannot  under 
stand  you." 

"I  will  explain  myself,"  returned  the  Earl.  "Do 
you  remember  the  American  who,  twenty  years  since, 
just  after  your  marriage,  visited  Arlington  Castle  ? " 

"I  had  utterly  forgotten  him/'  said  the  Colonel, 
"but  now  his  image  rises  before  me,  as  I  speak,  with 
unusual  distinctness." 

"Well,"  answered  the  Earl,  "that  man,  standing 
on  this  spot,  made  an  impression  on  me  I  can  never 
forget. '  He  was  certainly  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
persons  I  have  ever  known  during  my  long  and  varied 
life." 

"Remarkable,  as  I  remember,"  rejoined  Neville,  "for 
his  assurance  and  the  part  his  nose  played  in  his  con 
versation.  I  can  now  recall  his  insufferable  impudence, 
and  the  disagreeable  twang  of  his  sharp  Yankee  tones." 

"I  do  not  wonder  at  your  disgust,"  said  the  Earl, 
with  a  gush  of  laughter,  "nor  the  vividness  of  your 
memory.  He  went  about  with  his  hands  in  his  pock 
ets,  and  asked  more  questions  about  the  Arlington 
Estates  than  their  owner  would  have  ventured.  Still, 
I  fear  the  fellow  was  a  prophet." 


28  KINGS  OF   CAPITAL. 

"Will  you  be  pleased  to  throw  some  light  on  his 
profound  vaticinations  ? "  asked  Neville,  with  a  slight 
curl  of  his  lip  and  nostril. 

Without  noticing  the  ironical  expression  of  his  son- 
in-law,  the  Earl  resumed. 

"I  will  comply  with  your  request.  Standing  just 
here,"  he  said,  pointing  with  his  finger  to  the  precise 
spot,  "  Ellis  concluded  a  long  conversation,  with  a  dis 
sertation,  almost  as  I  will  now  repeat  his  words  :  My 
lord,  in  that  agent's  house  dwells  the  true  secret  of  your 
British  future.  He  stands  between  capital  and  labor. 
The  rents  collected  by  such  men  support  the  expensive 
throne  and  aristocracy  of  England.  Now,  in  America 
our  farmers  have  no  such  burden.  They  own  the  land 
and  pay  no  rents.  Their  improvements  are  their  own. 
When  our  railway  transportation  and  ocean  navigation 
become  sufficiently  advanced  they  will  undersell  your 
grain,  your  mutton  and  your  beef,  and  perhaps  even 
your  butter  and  your  cheese,  and  drive  you  from  your 
own  markets.  And  mark  it,  my  lord,  when  our  man 
ufacturers  have  learned  from  you  lessons  of  intelli 
gence,  which  are  inevitable,  and  our  lawmakers  give 
us  a  sound  currency,  you  will  curse  your  boasted 
system  of  Free  Trade  and  come  over  to  America  to 
buy  your  clothes,  your  cutlery  and  eventually  your 
machinery  and  your  steamships. — Neville,  I  fear  that 
prophecy  is  now  coming  true,  and  I  wish  to  study 
the  question  for  myself  in  the  United  States.  For  if 
Ellis  proves  right,  there  will  be  both  a  social  and 
political  revolution  which  will  seriously  affect  the  value 


ARLINGTON    CASTLE.  29 

of  these  Arlington  Estates,  and  the  future  of  you  and 
your  wife,  and  your  children,  and  of  all  my  posterity 
for  generations." 

Colonel  Neville  was  astonished.  He  had  never  before 
reflected  on  these  questions.  Now,  however,  that  the 
argument  had  been  clearly  presented,  he  seized  its 
import  at  a  glance.  After  musing  for  a  moment  he 
inquired  : 

"  Is  there  no  solution  for  this  problem  ?     It  threatens 

% 
our    wealth    and    power    at    home,    and    therefore    the 

ascendency  of  our  empire  abroad.  You  will  oblige  me 
by  giving  your  opinion." 

The  Earl  paused,  placed  his  cane  under  his  chin, 
and  kept  it  there  a  moment,  and  then,  abruptly  striking 
it  on  the  ground,  replied : 

"In  my  opinion  the  Yankee  was  right.  As  our 
visitor  expressed  it,  Cobden  was  a  crank,  and  Bright 
is  Cobden  with  another  twist.  The  repeal  of  the  Corn 
Laws  was  a  political  suicide.  FREE  TRADE  is  for  the 
millennium,  but  until  that  happy  period  of  universal 
benevolence,  each  nation  must  protect  itself  against  its 
neighbor's  greed,  and  old  England  never  needed  more 
protection  than  now." 

"I  am  astonished  at  your  conclusions,"  replied  Neville, 
"and  by  no  means  ready  to  follow  the  Yankee.  He 
is  a  bird  of  ill-omen,  and  I  don't  like  his  prophetic 
croak." 

"  But  this  is  not  the  worst  of  it,"  said  the  Earl. 
"We  have  more  serious  troubles  before  us.  To  keep 
India,  England  must  have  Egypt.  We  must  own  our 


3Q  KINGS  OF   CAPITAL. 

highway  to  Calcutta,  and  to  own  it  we  must  fight  for 
it.  Now,  a  commercial  people  wont  fight,  and  we  are 
becoming  a  commercial  people." 

"There  we  can  agree,"  said  Neville,  "that's  in  the 
line  of  my  profession.  An  empire  made  by  the  sword 
must  be  kept  by  the  sword,  and  only  our  old  aris 
tocracy  can  infuse  into  a  British  army  the  spirit  which 
makes  the  sword  effective." 

"  Yes,"  responded  the  Earl,  "  as  our  laboring  and 
commercial  people  multiply,  they  will  demand  parlia 
mentary  representation,  and  all  our  foreign  relations 
will  be  regulated  by  the  balance  sheet.  The  men  of 
pounds,  shillings  and  pence  will  only  wage  war  for 
mercantile  profit.  Then  the  doom  of  the  empire  is 
certain.  Jobbers  never  made  heroes." 

"I  can  see  all  this,"  said  Neville.  "Our  Queen  is  a 
figure-head  and  the  Lords  are  fast  becoming  puppets. 
The  people  will  not  be  willing  long  to  pay  such  vast 
annual  sums  to  support  the  wooden  figures  in  this  costly 
royal  puppet-show." 

"We  are  on  the  eve  of  a  social  and  political  revo 
lution,"  said  the  Earl,  "and  I  want  to  study  these 
questions  in  the  United  States,  where  they  were  solved 
a  century  ago." 

"But  if  reports  are  true,"  said  Neville,  laughing, 
"our  American  cousins  are  no  improvement  on  our 
selves.  Their  legislatures  are  bought  like  sheep  in  the 
market.  Each  town  and  city  is  a  prey  to  rascals. 
Nearly  every  man  has  his  price.  New  York  is  a 
carcass  •  covered  by  devouring  vultures.  Jackals  and 


ARLINGTON    CASTLE.  33 

hyenas  are  eating  the  heart  of  the  Republic.  The 
American  eagle  has  turned  a  buzzard.  Monarchical 
England  is  bad  enough,  but  deliver  me  from  the  kites 
and  crows  of  a  young  people  already  old  in  corruption 
and  crime.  I  saw  by  a  New  York  daily  that  last 
year  there  were  fifteen  hundred  murders  committed 
in  the  country,  and  less  than  one  hundred  murderers 
hung." 

"  I  have  read  all  these  things,  too,"  replied  the 
Earl,  "in  their  own  papers,  and  the  same  accounts 
with  the  British  spice  of  our  London  journals.  It 
looks  badly,  indeed,  for  a  young  country.  But,  although 
an  old  English  aristocrat  of  a  Norman  descent  before 
the  battle  of  Hastings,  I  have  yet  a  generous  faith  in 
the  American  Republic.  The  present  is  a  passing 
phase  of  her  life.  Her  young  strength  will  cast  off 
these  putrid  excrescences.  I  believe  in  her  future, 
and  want  to  study  her  for  myself.  Besides,  you  and 
I  have  a  personal  interest  in  the  matter.  Yankee 
ingenuity  and  enterprise  in  agriculture  and  manufac 
tures  are  foes  more  to  be  dreaded  than  Russia  or  the 
Socialists.  You  see,"  he  added,  laughing,  "  I  may  be 
converted  into  a  Republican,  and  transport  my  Arling 
ton  estates  into  America.  At  all  events  I  am  deter 
mined  to  visit  the  land  of  the  Yankee." 

"But,"  urged  Neville,  with  alarm,  "is  not  your 
resolution  hasty  and  venturesome  ?  At  your  advanced 
age,  it  seems  to  me,  that  you  should  not  be  exposed  to 
the  sufferings  of  ocean  navigation,  and  the  inconven 
iences  of  a  young  country,  and  the  journey  might 


Along  a  street  of  the  American  Metropolis  " 
Page  37. 


CHAPTER  II. 

SAM  SLYKES. 

LONG  a  street  of  the  American 
Metropolis,  in  the  early  evening 
gaslight,  could  be  seen  a  peculiar 
individual. 

He  was  sharp  in  his  chin,  sharp 
in  his  nose,  sharp  in  his  eyes,  sharp 
in  his  forehead,  sharp  in  his  expression, 
sharp  even  in  the  little  pointed  silk  hat 
he  wore  tilted  on  one  side  of  his  head.  In 
his  whole  air  and  manner  and  movements 
he  was  unmistakably  sharp.  In  his  hand 
was  a  sharp  stick,  he  had  a  slight,  sharp 
moustache  and  a  tuft  of  sharp  reddish  beard.  He 
was  small,  agile,  quick  and  sharp  in  soul  and  in  body. 
The  star  presiding  over  his  birth  must  have  had  the 
sharpest  of  points,  and  the  angel  recording  his  destiny 
the  sharpest  of  pens.  You  saw  before  you  the  im 
personation  of  American  sharpness.  The  cuffs,  the  bosom 
and  shirt  collar  of  this  sharp  person  were  covered  with 
flaring  red  figures,  his  neck-tie  flashedi  with  crimson, 
an  enormous  diamond  blazed  on  his  breast,  and  from 
his  fingers  shone  the  light  of  a  magnificent  ruby. 
His  clothing  was  in  the  height  of  the  style,  but  sat  on 
his  small  person  with,  a  gigantic  vulgarity. 


38  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

The  man  paused  before  a  chapel,  whose  style  of 
architecture  was  questionable  as  that  of  his  own  dress. 
What  affinity  between  him.  and  such  a  place  remains 
to  be  seen.  He  stood  before  the  door.  He  gazed. 
He  chuckled.  He  punched  his  own  ribs,  twirled  his 
slender  moustache,  fondled  his  little  pointed  beard. 
He  flourished  his  cane  and  laughed  outright  as  if 
overcome  with  his  pleasant  recollections.  He  moved 
forward  and  looked  backward,  and  the  grin  and  leer 
of  his  pleasure  remained  on  his  face,  until,  turning  a 
corner,  he  came  before  another  smaller  and  more  un 
pretentious  ecclesiastical  edifice,  which  changed  his 
whole  expression.  He  frowned.  He  shook  his  stick 
in  anger.  He  scolded  under  his  breath,  and — shall  I 
say  it— he  muttered  low  curses  before  the  sacred  place. 
He  was  evidently  in  a  tempest  of  disdain,  disgust  and 
displeasure. 

Now,  my  reader,  can  you  give  me  the  clew  to  this 
strange  conduct  ?  What  a  mysterious  interest  in 
silence !  How  impressive  a  human  being,  when  his 
lips  utter  no  intelligible  words,  and  you  judge  him 
only  by  the  dumb  show  of  his  actions !  Let  him 
speak  articulately!  The  spell  is  broken,  and  he  is 
reduced  to  the  level  of  our  ordinary  humanity.  When 
you  have  penetrated  the  secret  of  his  soul,  the 
interest  dissolves.  I  almost  hesitate  to  lift  the  veil, 
lest  I  may  dispel  the  curiosity  I  have  excited  towards 
this  singular  personage. 

He  passed  rapidly  into  the  blaze  of  the  most  crowded 
avenue  of  the  city.  After  a  few  blocks,  made  a  detour 


SAM    SLYKES.  39 

to  the  left,  and  reached  finally  an  immense  edifice  on 
which,  gleaming  in  the  gaslight,  above  dim  statues  of 
stone,  shone  in  great  gilded  letters — INTER  OCEANIC 
RAILWAY. 

This  mysterious  being  in  human  shape  stopped  before 
a  private  door,  took  from  his  pocket  a  night  key, 
applied  it  to  the  lock,  and  entering,  ascended  two 
flights  of  stairs  to  a  front  room  brilliantly  lighted,  and 
expensively,  but  gaudily  and  flaringly  furnished. 

Lounging  on  a  sofa,  with  his  heels  on  a  table  and 
above  his  head,  was  a  man  puffing  smoke  from  his 
lips,  until  he  resembled  a  young  volcano..  The  clouds 
rose  in  graceful  and  widening  circles,  floated  about 
through  the  room,  and  then  slowly  dissolved  into  the 
ever-thickening  air.  Our  new  acquaintance  is  a  man 
of  mark.  His  enormous  disproportioned  head,  hung 
around  with  dark,  short,  grizzled  curls ;  his  projecting, 
massive  brow;  his  firm  lips  and  thin  pale  face  and 
full  black  contrasting  beard,  with  the  sparkle  of  his 
large  clear  gray  eyes,  notwithstanding  a  slender,  stooping 
and  somewhat  ungainly  form,  impress  the  beholder  with 
a  sense  of  overmastering  intellectual  power.  The  voice 
is  an  instant  and  sensitive  index  of  culture,  and  in 
the  notes  soon  to  be  heard  were  the  unmistakable 
proofs  of  early  educational  discipline. 

As  the  first  personage  we  described  entered  the 
apartment,  the  second  personage,  whom  we  have  just 
discovered,  changed  his  feet  rapidly  from  the  table  to 
the  floor,  and  burst  out  into  a  loud  laugh,  lasting  for 
some  moments.  When  his  hilarity  had  somewhat  sub 
sided,  he  exclaimed  : 


40  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

"Well!  Sam,  I  have  at  last  been  in  St.  Shammius 
Chapel  and  spent  one  pious  Sunday.  I  saw  you  there 
in  the  front  pew  beside  your  fellow  pilgrim,  Mrs.  Slykes, 
who  seemed  a  true  sheep  of  the  fold,  while  you,  I  must 
confess,  looked  like  a  boy's  goat  with  one  horn  and 
half  a  beard,  and  pummeled  into  meekness  for  his  hard 
work.  The  immense  crowd,  the  stunning  music  and 
the  flash  of  the  sermon  attested  the  success  of  your 
Christian  beneficence." 

'•'A  regular  run,"  responded  Sam  Slykes.  "Up  to 
time,  I  tell  you.  Reminds  me  of  the  fast  old  days, 
before  I  took  to  the  law,  when  I  was  runnin'  train- 
engineer.  No  let  up  yet !  Shammius  Chapel  beats 
my  old  locomotive,  "Fire  Fly,"  mended,  packed, 
greased  and  rubbed  like  a  teapot,  track  straight,  pine 
knots  under  biler,  whizzin'  sixty  mile  an  hour." 

"Spec,  old  fellow,  spec,"  replied  Planning,  "Sham 
mius  Chapel  pays!  Your  down-town  building  sold  well, 
and  your  up-town  edifice  will  rise  in  value  every  day. 
After  paying  parson,  sexton,  incidentals  and  charitable 
uses,  you  will  have  fifty  per  cent,  on  investment. 
Sharp,  Sam,  commercially  and  ecclesiastically  sharp,— 
sharp  as  that  fox  on  your  canehead." 

Slykes,  pleased   with   the   compliments   and   the  recol 
lections   of    his   social    and    financial    success,    flourished  - 
his    stick    with    delight,    and,   looking    affectionately    on 
the    animal    there    represented,    burst    out    with    evident 
spontaneity  : 

"Have  a  fellow-feelin'  with  the  brute,  Coolie  Plan 
ning,  that's  a  fact !  He's  a  sort  of  brother  of  mine, 


SAM    SLYKES.  43 

some  great,  great,  great  grandpapa  in  old  times.  Our 
scientific  humbugs  talk  monkey,  but  give  me  a  fox  for 
my  ancestor." 

Planning  laughed  heartily,  not  boisterously.  He 
had  deeply  studied  the  questions  of  the  day  to  which 
Slykes  had  ignorantly  alluded.  With  a  curl  of  his 
thin  lip,  he  said  : 

"  I  am  not  yet  prepared,  like  other  distinguished 
scientists,  to  be  fathered  by  a  monkey,  nor  would  I 
pursue  the  line  of  your  ancestors,  or  of  my  own,  fearing 
it  might  be  vegetable  hemp  rather  than  from  a  living 
animal.  But  I  will  ask  you  a  more  practical  question : 
How  do  you  fill  Shammius  Chapel  with  such  crowds  ? 
You  seem  to  run  a  church  even  better  than  you  ran  a 
locomotive." 

The  eye  of  Slykes  twinkled  with  cunning.  A  gleam 
spread  over  his  face.  His  form  dilated  and  quivered 
with  his  nervous  excitement  as  he  whirled  his  cane  in 
rapid  circles,  and  said,  in  his  abrupt  slang,  always 
filled  with  images  drawn  from  the  vocation  he  left,  and 
rarely  containing  an  allusion  to  the  profession  he  had 
more  recently  embraced  : 

"  Thing's  plain  as  a  steam  gauge  !  Parson  in  trouble 
— family  big  —  expensive  wife  and  daughters — bills  and 
vacations  long — cash  and  visits  short — scandals  with  the 
women.  Pews  wouldn't  sell,  income  bad,  congregation 
slim,  and  a  general  grumble.  Then  comes  in  Sam 
Slykes,  my  boy,  to  foreclose  his  mortgage  on  Shammius 
Chapel  and  drive  the  old  failure  off.  He  gets  a  flash 
preacher,  hires  opera-singers,  paints  inside,  puts  steam 


44  KINGS   OF  CAPITAL. 

on  front  organ  and  electricity  on  back,  puffs  preacher 
in  dailies.  Pews  sell  like  strawberries.  Crowd  comes 
back  like  sheep  to  Spring  pasture.  Sam  Slykes  is  the 
biggest  toad  in  the  puddle.  He  walks  about  with  his 
hands  in  his  pockets  and  says  : — l  Here's  the  boy  that 
runs  this  concern." 

Planning  was  hugely  diverted.  He  absolutely  shook 
from  hea<J  to  foot  with  suppressed  laughter,  and  then, 
to  prolong  the  amusement,  said : 

"  But,  Sam,  one  thing  I  cannot  comprehend.  You 
don't  belong  to  the  church,  and  I  often  wonder  how 
you  are  permitted  to  take  so  prominent  a  part  in 
ecclesiastical  affairs." 

"Money  is  the  go,  Coolie,  Church  and  State!  Don't 
need  any  other  capital.  Mrs.  Slykes  is  pious  enough 
for  both — trade  on  her  share — I  give  cash  and  she  gives 
religion  —  joint  stock  concern  for  the  benefit  of  the 
public.  Where  expenses  are  big,  debts  heavy  and 
affairs  in  a  snarl,  when  money  comes  in,  members 
smile,  deacons  wink,  and  parson  shuts  his  eyes  like 
a  pious  'possum.  Sam  Slykes  carries  pews  and  pulpit 
in  his  pocket,  and  an  awful  row  they  make  some 
times." 

Even  J.  Coolie  Planning  heard  this  recital  with 
disgust.  He  knew  its  absolute  truth,  and  blushed  for 
the  degradation  of  that  Christianity  which,  despite  his 
sins,  he  believed  to  be  true.  The  image  of  his  father 
and  the  tender  memories  of  his  mother  had  not  yet 
forsaken  him.  Almost  the  last  thing  extinguished  in 
a  degraded  soul  is  the  light  of  a  pure,  Christian  home. 


"  The  last  thing  extinguished  in  a  degraded  soul  is  the  light  of  a  pure  Christian 

home."    Page  44. 


SAM    SLYKES.  47 

Planning    said,    with   a    tone   of    mingled    sadness    and 
cynicism  : 

"If  I  remember  right,  you  have  driven  off  three 
parsons — one  because  he  was  too  pious,  another  because 
he  was  not  pious  enough,  and  a  third  you  forced,  in  his 
death-chamber,  to  sign  his  resignation,  because  he 
married  a  singing-girl.  In  all  heathendom,  I  have  read 
of  nothing  so  merciless  as  your  own  chapel  in  its 
treatment  of  clergymen." 

"Fact,  Coolie!  Hard  as  a  new  steel  rail!  I  told 
you  myself  about  our  fust  parson — face  long  and  black 
as  a  smoke  stack.  Our  second  spiritual  boss  got  clean 
crazy — down  on  railroads— a  reg'lar  hobby— screamed  at 
us  every  Sunday  like  a  steam-whistle—said  we  lied, 
we  bribed,  we  watered  stocks,  we  cheated  widows, 
robbed  orphans  and  stole  from  Johnny  Bull  hide,  hoof 
and  horns.  Raised  my  dander,  Coolie !  Sam  Slykes 
swore  he  must  leave,  and  soon  drove  the  old  monk  off. 
He  went  away  three  blocks  and  set  up  again.  Yester 
day  sent  down  our  sexton  to  count  noses — just  one 
hundred  and  eighty-nine  in  his  pews  to  our  fifteen 
hundred  and  one. 

"  Our  third  parson  was  a  good  fellow,  handsome  and 
sentimental.  Set  the  women  a  flutterin'  and  a  cryin', 
and  they  scared  him  off  with  tears,  soft  sodder  and 
slippers.  It  was  our  fourth  shepherd  that  made  the 
mistake  in  marriage,  and  who  we  forced  to  back  out 
before  he  died." 

"You  have,  then,  compelled  three  clergymen  to 
leave,  and  your  women  have  frightened  off  a  fourth! 


48  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

Admirable,  Sam !  Bible  Christianity  this,  old  boy, 
Eh?" 

"  Coolie,  the  man  who  draws  the  crowd  should  get 
the  credit.  Look  at  this  pocket-book!  Greenbacks  did 
the  business!  Greenbacks  is  the  power,  Church  and 
State!  Greenbacks  is  the  go  in  America;  above  stripes, 
stars  or  spread  eagle!  Greenbacks  is  as  necessary  as 
wood  to  a  locomotive  to  make  fire  and  steam.  When 
Sam  Slykes  goes  down  in  a  panic,  Shammius  Chapel 
goes  down  with  him,  sure  as  fish-blades !" 

While  this  singular  conversation  was  progressing,  a 
man  entered  the  room  we  must  pause  to  describe.  He 
was  much  above  the  middle  height,  with  broad  shoul 
ders,  an  ample  chest  and  a  slender  waist.  His  limbs 
were  rounded  into  graceful  fullness,  contributing  to  the 
elegance  of  his  person,  while  his  carriage  was  striking, 
and  his  bearing  easy,  cordial  and  manly.  Large  feet 
and  rough  hands  marred,  when  perceived,  the  first 
favorable  impression  of  his  appearance.  His  forehead 
was  broad  and  high ;  his  nose  regular  and  slightly 
Roman,  with  a  wide  and  sensuous  nostril;  his  lips  were 
just  too  thick;  his  teeth  white,  healthful  and  beautiful; 
his  neck  red  and  animalistic,  and  his  jaw  powerful 
and  projecting,  yet  not  repulsive.  A  black  beard, 
neatly  trimmed,  corresponded  to  his  dark  eyes,  and 
contrasted  pleasingly  with  the  rich  bloom  of  his  fine 
face. 

You  perceived,  at  a  glance,  in  his  form,  his  features, 
his  manners,  his  movements,  the  warring  elements  of 
strong  intellections  and  strong  passions.  Lyman  Risk, 


I  spent  one  pious  Sunday." 
Page  40. 


SAM    SLYKES.  51 

the  President  of  the  INTER  OCEANIC  RAILWAY,  was 
indeed  a  handsome  fellow.  All  but  the  most  refined 
ladies  would  have  pronounced  his  appearance  singularly 
attractive,  and  even  some  of  them  might,  for  a  time, 
have  been  deceived  into  believing  him  a  man  of 
education  and  of  gentle  birth.  The  instincts  of  the 
most  discerning  would  have  recoiled  from  him  in  an 
instant,  with  a  painful  doubt  whether  he  was  ruled 
by  the  angel  of  light  or  by  the  angel  of  darkness. 
There  had  been  a  moment  when  the  paths  to  good 
and  evil  were  before  him,  and  consciously  in  his 
choice.  He  then  made  the  irrevocable  decision  which 
stamped  forever  his  character  and  his  destiny. 

What  that  decision  was  our  story  is  yet  to  show. 
We  omitted  that  Risk's  dress  was  in  the  latest  style 
and  in  the  perfection  of  taste,  save  that  his  ring, 
breastpin,  and  watch-chain  betrayed  an  immodest  tend 
ency  to  glitter  and  excited  a  strong  suspicion  of 
vulgarity. 

As  Lyman  Risk  approached  his  confederates— J. 
Coolie  Planning,  Vice-President,  and  Samuel  Slykes, 
Esq.,  Assistant  Attorney  of  the  INTER  OCEANIC  RAILWAY — 
he  walked  more  slowly,  occasionally  glancing  over  the 
top  of  the  paper  he  was  reading  when  attracted  by  a 
special  loudness  of  tone  or  merriment  of  laughter. 
Something  in  the  sheet  had  evidently  excited  an 
unusual  interest.  He  seemed  reflecting  deeply.  As  he 
joined  his  friends,  a  smile  of  intelligence  and  of  satis 
faction  illuminated  his  features. 

"Ah!     Lyman,"    began    Planning,     "I    noticed    you 


52  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

when  you  first  entered  the  room.  Your  cigar  is  out, 
and  that  means  thinking.  You  kept  running  your 
fingers  through  your  hair,  as  if  you  would  pull  from 
your  head  some  new  speculation  not  quite  ready  to 
come  out.  Lyman  Risk  and  that  daily  oracle,  '  YOUNG 
AMERICA,'  mean  business.  Money's  in  it,  I'm  sure. 
Give  us  your  new  idea ! " 

"Out  with  it,  Lyman,"  said  Slykes.  "Just  bought  a 
pious  weekly  myself  to  advertise  the  INTER  OCEANIC. 
Can  spatter  parsons  like  a  fast  car  wheel  on  a  rainy 
day — will  soon  conduct  the  ecclesiastical  train,  and 
whistle  through  it  Yankee  Doodle  and  the  last  opera, 
from  Maine  to  Texas.  Next  to  a  chapel,  Sam  Slykes 
wants  a  newspaper." 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  Risk,  with  a  self-conscious  superi 
ority  of  intelligence,  "my  little  pear  is  not  yet  ripe. 
But  I  tell  you  I  have  just  found  half  a  million  in  this 
same  copy  of  '  YOUNG  AMERICA." 

As  he  ended  these  words  he  tapped  the  paper 
affectionately  with  the  end  of  his  extinguished  cigar. 

"Let  me  ask,"  inquired  Planning,  "in  what  particu 
lar  part  of  that  honest  sheet  have  you  discovered  so 
rich  a  treasure  ? " 

"Not  yet,  Coolie.  I've  had  a  private  cable  from  Eng 
land  ;  you  shall  know  in  time.  My  secret  is  my  own 
until  the  money  is  sure.  You  will  be  glad  enough  when 
you  find  what  help  I'll  bring  the  INTER  OCEANIC.,  But 
why  sneer  at  *  YOUNG  AMERICA  '  ?  It  shows  me  every 
clay,  like  a  weathercock,  how  the  wind  blows  in  poli 
tics,  business  and  religion,  and  is  better  for  me  than 


"  Money  is  the  go,  Church  and  State." 
Tage  48. 


SAM    SLYKES.  55 

thermometer,  barometer  and  telegraph  together,  to  'Old 
Probabilities,  and  the  American  Public." 

"Yes,"  interposed  Slykes,  with  a  sly  and  significant 
chuckle,  "a  regular  steam-guage— shows  our  republican 
locomotive  steam  high  or  steam  low — quivering  and 
trembling  like  a  magnetic  needle  and  always  tellin' 
how  the  machine  runs." 

Planning  arose  from  his  chair.  Indeed  for  the 
moment  he  resembled  some  old  orator  flaming  with 
virtuous  indignation.  There  was  in  him  a  wealth  of 
argumentative  eloquence,  and  a  reproving  conscious 
ness,  yet  lingering,  that  he  had  perverted  his  shining 
gifts  in  his  mad  chase  for  money.  Occasionally  the 
fire  would  burst  forth  and  show  the  brilliance  of 
powers  which  might  have  graced  the  bar  and  adorned 
the  senate.  He  said,  with  a  flash  in  his  eye,  a  curl 
on  his  lip  and  a  quiver  in  his  tone: 

"  An  infernal  humbug,  as  we  three  well  know ; 
founded  on  the  idea  that  every  man  is  a  knave  or  a 
fool,  and  made  by  nature  to  enrich  the  proprietors  of 
'  YOUNG  AMERICA.'  That  sheet  in  your  hand  is  for 
pimps  and  parsons,  cooks  and  doctors,  coachmen  and 
attorneys,  waiting-maids  and  fine  ladies,  gamblers 
and  merchants — patronized  alike  by  honest  mechanics 
and  convicted  criminals — democratic,  republican,  cath 
olic  and  protestant  in  the  same  issue— in  one  corner 
sermons  and  religious  notices,  and  in  another  advertise 
ments  for  assignations  and  abortions — news  from  Lon 
don  manufactured  in  this  metropolis — reports  about 
things  never  seen  and  lies  about  things  really  heard— 


50  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

a  catch  for  all  fishes,  minnows,  sharks  and  whales. 
That  paper  flourishes  on  the  follies  and  rascalities  of 
the  community  it  purposely  demoralises.  A  vulture 
feeds  on  the  carcass  as  it  is  found;  your  daily  bird 
of  prey  has  the  devilish  art  of  corrupting  the  corpse 
with  which  it  stuffs  its  maw." 

"  Whew  ! "  exclaimed  Slykes,  in  a  tone  of  astonished 
admiration.  "  Fine  as  a  Shammius  preacher  when  he 
knows  the  reporter  is  takin'  down  his  sermon  !  Coolie 
thunders  like  a  locomotive  runnin'  down  a  mountain. 
We'll  give  you  a  chance,  old  boy,  in  our  pulpit  some 
Sunday." 

"Hard  on  ' YOUNG  AMERICA/  Planning,"  said  Risk, 
"and  no  man  uses  its  columns  to  better  advantage 
than  yourself ;  you  abuse  your  best  friend  with  your 
cant.  We  get  what  we  want  out  of  it,  and  have  no 
right  to  complain  if  it  suits  other  people.  Men  scold 
at  it  and  read  it  ;  scorn  it  and  pay  for  it ;  relieve 
their  consciences  by  saying  that  it  should  be  driven 
out  of  the  world  and  use  their  pockets  to  keep  it  in. 
Til  bet  a  case  of  champagne  and  a  box  of  Havanas 
that  the  INTER  OCEANIC  RAILWAY  makes  a  half  million 
out  of  this  number  in  my  hand." 

Risk  held  up  the  paper  in  the  light,  shook  it 
mysteriously,  and  looked  at  his  confederates  with  a 
glance  o'f  superior  foresight. 

"Nonsense,  Lyman,"  replied  Planning.  "You're 
crazy.  Til  stop  my  preaching  and  take  your  bet,  and 
smoke  and  drink  at  your  expense,  with  the  greatest 
pleasure." 


SAM    SLYKES.  57 

"  I'll  go  it  double  against  you,  Coolie,"  cried  Slykes. 
"  Lyman  always  wins  !  Hurrah  for  Mr.  President  and 
a  half  million  for  the  INTER  OCEANIC." 

While  apparantly  flourishing,  the  Railway  was,  in 
fact,  tottering  to  its  ruin,  and  exhausting  all  the  arti 
fice  and  energy  of  its  officers  to  prevent  it  from  falling. 
It  resembled  a  vast  balanced  rock  that  a  touch  may 
topple  over.  Its  plans  had  been  too  extended.  In 
the  purchase  of  tributary  roads  and  mines  and  manu 
factories  and  docks  and  ships,  and  in  a  gigantic  effort 
to  control  the  trade  of  both  Asia  and  Europe,  from 
the  Pacific  to  the  Atlantic  coast,  the  INTER  OCEANIC 
RAILWAY  had  piled  over  itself  a  mountain  of  indebt 
edness,  which,  shaken  by  the  earthquake  of  a  recent 
panic,  seemed  destined  to  crash  down  in  one  universal 
destruction.  Its  owners  had  been  deluded  by  visions 
of  boundless  wealth  and  power.  Indeed  they  projected 
on  the  Pacific  coast  what  was  virtually  an  occidental 
empire  whose  magnificent  metropolis  would  have  real 
ized  the  wildest,  oriental  dreams. 

In  the  exigency  of  these  affairs  the  officers  of  the 
Road  watched  every  advantage  and  resorted  to  every 
expedient.  Risk  and  Planning  were  not  unusually  bad 
men,  but  they  were  driven  to  extremities  and  thought 
that  they  could  not  afford  to  inquire  too  scrupulously 
into  questions  of  morals.  The  former  just  now  seemed 
blazing  out  into  an  extraordinary  excitement.  His 
eyes  dilated,  his  lips  and  nostrils  quivered,  and  a  fire 
appeared  burning  in  him  as  he  exclaimed  wildly: 

"  Half  a    million  !     Half  a  million  !     Half  a    million 


58 


KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 


for  the  INTER  OCEANIC  RAILWAY."  He  rushed  with 
frantic  haste  to  the  telegraphic  instrument  clicking  in 
the  farther  corner  of  the  room.  He  was  a  master  of 
the  keys.  Sitting  down,  his  fingers  glanced  with  an 
inconceivable  speed.  The  message  almost  spoke  from 
his  eyes  and  his  motions.  Lightning  was  in  the  man 
as  well  as  in  the  battery.  Both  were  surcharged. 
No  telegram  ever  flashed  to  Boston  from  more  heated 
fingers  or  in  fewer  seconds.  Lyman  Risk  with  that 
subtle  fluid  was  writing  destinies. 


"  Like  a  good  angel,  in  her  young  beauty,  crowned  with  a  halo  of  love  and  light  ' 

Page  65. 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE    LIVINGSTONES. 

DNA,"   said  Frank  Livingstone  to  his 
sister,  "will  you  do  me    a  favor?" 
"Anything    in    my    power,"    she 
replied.      "But  what's  the  matter? 
You  look   as  grave   as  if  you  were 
trying    to    make    a     jury    think    white     is 
black." 

"  And    I    feel    as    grave    as    I    look,"    he 
answered  soberly.     "The  truth  is,  I  thought 
I  knew  myself  and   I  find  that  I  was  mis 
taken.       Indeed,  I  sometimes  believe  another 
man's   soul    has   come  into  my   body.       I   am 
just  now    everything  I    have    said    I    never    would    be. 
You  must  interpret  me  to  myself,  and  tell  me   honestly 
what  you  think   about  me." 

"You  impose  upon  me  rather  a  difficult  task,"  said 
Edna,  gurgling  into  a  laugh.  "Possibly  if  I  hold  the 
mirror  too  faithfully  before  you,  you  may  not  admire 
the  imago  it  reflects.  Pause  before  you  repeat  the 
request." 

"I  know  that  your  looking-glass  never  flatters  me, 
however  it  may  be  partial  to  yourself,"  Frank  rejoined, 
brightening  into  good  humor,  "and  I  am  ready  to  see 


(32  KINGS  OF   CAPITAL. 

what  I  will  not  admire.  Besides,  I  have  an  object. 
Do  not  fear;  I  am  waiting  to  study  myself  in  your 
glass.  Hold  it  up,  whatever  it  may  show  ! " 

"I  must  begin  with  the  features  of  your  early  life," 
answered  Edna,  quizzically.  -"If  I  remember  correctly 
the  family  traditions,  you  were  taught  to  read  at  the 
unusual  age  of  two,  and  you  gave  a  precocious  promise 
not  yet  realized." 

"Right,"  said  Frank,  slightly  blushing  and  wincing, 
"however  mortifying  the  consciousness  of  disappoint 
ment  to  myself  and  my  friends." 

"You  attacked  Latin  at  six,"  continued  Edna,  smiling 
at  her  brother's  just  noticeable  discomfiture ;  "  Greek 
at  seven  ;  Algebra  at  eleven  ;  Geometry  at  twelve  ;  had 
completed  Homer  and  Horace  at  fourteen,  and  graduated 
at  seventeen  with  a  brilliant  valedictory,  exciting  hopes 
of  a  splendid  eloquence,  so  far  in  your  career  not 
realized." 

"  I  perceive,"  said  Frank,  confused  and  a  little 
wounded,  "that  your  mirror  is  not  modern  quick 
silvered  glass,  but  hard,  old  polished  Roman  metal, 
fused  from  spears,  swords  and  hatchets.  It  reflects  on 
me  sharply,  but  tells  the  stern  truth.  I  see  that  you 
have  studied  my  life  chronologically;  tabulated  my 
faults,  recorded  my  failures  and  that  your  mirror  takes 
pleasure  in  the  pain  it  inflicts." 

"You  asked  me  to  be  faithful,  and  I  must  perform 
my  promise  to  you,"  answered  Edna,  with  a  sweet, 
sisterly  smile.  "  I  am  like  a  sworn  witness  of  yours 
in  court,  obliged  to  tell  the  truth,  the  whole  truth  and 


THE    LIVINGSTONES.  63 

nothing  but  the  truth.  Besides,  a  mirror  cannot  be 
bribed.  You  may  break  it,  but,  while  clear  and  whole, 
it  will  not  lie.  It  gives  back  just  what  it  receives." 

"Go  on,"  cried  Frank,  laughing.  "I  confess  your 
glass  cut  me  a  little;  but  its  reflections  are  true.  I 
have  worked  hard  and  fallen  below  my  own  ideal  and 
the  hopes  of  my  family,  and  the  consciousness  of  the 
fact  makes  me  more  sensitive  than  I  had  supposed." 

"  Now,  let  me  drop  the  mirror  and  ask  you  a  plain 
question,"  said  Edna,  "  How  do  you  keep  your  law 
papers  ?  " 

"Labeled,  tied,  arranged,  numbered,  pigeon-holed, 
and  boxed  annually,  with  all  the  scrupulous  accuracy 
of  a  premature  old  bachelor  of  twenty-eight.  But 
what  connection  this  has  with  your  purpose  or  mine  I 
do  not  yet  perceive.  Enlighten  me  ! " 

"  Be  patient,  brother,"  she  replied,  with  mischief  in 
her  look.  "Your  judge  must  be  deliberate,  if  you  want 
a  sound  opinion.  I  have  heard  papa  say  that  your 
addresses  to  court  and  jury  have  none  of  that  glow 
of  the  imagination  which  shone  through  your  youthful 
essays  and  orations.  He  remarked  the  other  morning 
at  breakfast  that,  in  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  this 
age  of  iron,  you  deal  only  in  hard  facts  and  solid 
arguments." 

"True,"  replied  Frank,  "and  sometimes  I  reproach 
myself  for  not  following  my  original  bent.  Possibly 
my  flight  would  have  been  higher  had  I  not  clipped 
my  own  wings.  But  I  sacrificed  my  reputation  to  my 
sense  of  duty." 


64  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

"You  are  too  fast,  Frank,"  Edna  continued.  "We 
are  not  yet  ready  for  our  conclusion.  I  will  resume 
your  history  and  complete  your  portrait.  You  have 
traveled  over  Europe,  stood  on  the  pyramids,  explored 
Jerusalem,  looked  down  over  India  from  the  Hima 
layas,  said  good-morning  to  Hong  Kong,  good-evening 
to  Tokio,  and  shaken  hands  with  San  Francisco  on 
your  way  back  to  New  York.  You  have  all  the  indi 
cations  of  a  practical  character.  You  love  whist,  chess 
and  science ;  read  only  the  best  novels  and  attend  only 
the  best  plays ;  eat  and  drink  sparingly  and  cultivate 
your  club  moderately ;  dance  well  and  waltz  better ; 
have  never  been  in  love,  yet  incline  to  the  ladies ;  are 
even  fond  of  making  calls  with  your  mother  and 
sister ;  don't  scold  when  they  make  you  wait  and  escort 
them  kindly  in  their  shopping.  Now,  with  this  preface, 
I  am  prepared  to  exhibit  your  portrait  and  prove  to 
yourself  that  you  are  a  model  American  young  gentle 
man,  with  the  splendid  future  you  deserve  to  be 
exceeded  by  a  brilliance  beyond  your  wildest  dreams." 

Edna  playfully  took  her  brother's  hand,  and,  leading 
him  to  the  farther  end  of  the  room,  unexpectedly 
confronted  him  with  his  own  image  in  the  mirror, 
saying : 

"There,  Frank!  Behold  yourself!  Read  your  char 
acter  in  more  faithful  lines  and  colors  than  I  or  any 
painter  or  writer  can  draw  on  canvas  or  sketch  by 
words." 

Frank  did  not  hesitate  to  obey  the  direction  of  his 
sister.  He  looked  straight  into  his  own  face  and 


THE    LIVINGSTONES.  65 

interpreted  himself  to  himself.  The  lesson  was  unmis 
takable.  That  strong  and  graceful  person,  just  below 
the  middle  size ;  those  honest,  manly  curls ;  that  clear, 
piercing,  intelligent  eye ;  that  open,  noble  brow ;  those 
compressed  lips ;  that  countenance,  breathing  and  kin 
dling  with  purpose,  integrity  and  intellect,  were  revela 
tions  to  his  inmost  soul  that  he  had  mistaken  neither 

himself  nor  his  vocation.      His  sister  at  his  side  smiled 

i 
on    him  like   a    good  angel,    in  her  young   beauty,   and 

seemed  now  in  his  eyes  almost  crowned  with  a  halo 
of  love  and  light.  Her  nose,  artistically  perfect  in  its 
Grecian  outline,  the  delicate  bloom  in  her  cheek,  the 
grace  of  her  form  and  the  expression  of  her  pure  face, 
beaming  from  a  womanly  heart  and  a  noble  mind, 
thrilled  him  with  a  joy  and  gratitude  unfelt  before. 
He  kissed  and  embraced  her  with  a  sweet,  fraternal 
tenderness  and  pride. 

After  this  expression  of  his  affection,  Frank  Living 
stone  placed  his  sister's  right  arm  in  his  own  left, 
conducted  her  through  the  hall,  over  the  piazza  and 
across  the  lawn  until  they  stood  on  a  green  and  lofty 
bank  overhanging  the  Hudson. 

It  was  an  early  morning  in  June.  The  young  sun 
was  just  leading  the  day  over  the  hills,  flashing  into 
gold  the  waves  of  the  river,  and  burning  and  glittering 
from  sword  and  musket  as  the  cadets  on  the  West 
Point  shore  marched  and  manceuvered  in  their  early 
review,  while  the  music  of  the  band  came  softly  over 
the  waters  and  was  echoed  in  mellow  notes  among 
the  hills. 


(Jg  KINGS   OF  CAPITAL. 

The  rose,  fresh  in  the  morning  dew,  shed  fragrance 
from  its  bloom,  and  the  lilac  and  the  honeysuckle,  and 
the  just  mown  grass,  breathed  on  the  air  a  delicious 
sweetness. 

Nature  encircled  that  brother  and  sister  with  a 
canopy  of  love  and  beauty,  and  poured  around  them 
an  incense  from  her  heart. 

"Edna,"  began  Frank,  after  gazing  long  on  the  scene, 
"I  thank  you  for  what  you  have  done.  All  things 
are  coming  back  to  me  in  their  true  light.  You  now 
deserve  to  have  my  secret,  never  yet  divulged." 

"I  am  ready  to  hear  it,  brother,"  she  replied,  with 
the  tenderest  affection,  "and  hope  that  you  will  never 
regret  the  confidences  of  this  morning." 

Earth  and  heaven  were  smiling  to  each  other.  A 
fish  leaped  out  of  the  water  in  its  joy.  The  mocking 
bird  was  thrilling  forth  its  most  passionate  raptures. 
Indeed,  the  whole  feathered  orchestra  was  singing 
around  them. 

"You  spoke,  Edna,"  he  said,  "of  the  unfulfilled 
expectations  excited  by  my  boyish  eloquence.  I  deter 
mined  early  to  control  my  exuberance  as  an  example 
of  culture  and  restraint  in  our  young  country,  and  to 
form  myself  after  the  classic  models,  ancient  and 
modern.  Moreover,  I  resolved  to  advise  my  clients 
where  possible  to  compromise,  never  to  confuse  an 
honest  witness,  however  detrimental  to  my  case,  and 
never  to  appeal  to  the  prejudices  and  passions  of  a 
court  or  jury.  My  ambition  was  to  show  the  world 
that  the  son  of  an  old  and  wealthy  family  could  be  a 


THE    LIVINGSTONES.  67 

gentleman  and  yet  have  the  most  brilliant  professional 
success.  As  a  consequence  I  have  seen  unscrupulous 
and  uncultured  men  blazing  over  me  into  a  dazzling 
but  temporary  prosperity.  Still,  I  have  been  sustained 
by  a  consciousness  of  right  and  an  assurance,  ulti 
mately,  of  wider  and  more  enduring  influence.  My 
dreams  are  over.  Since  my  return  from  Europe  I  have 
found  myself  a  fool." 

"You  astonish  me,  Frank,"  cried  Edna,  in  alarm.  "I 
cannot  understand  this.  This  is  some  strange  halluci 
nation." 

"  Just  now  I  thought  so,  under  the  influence 
of  your  words.  But  the  cloud  comes  back  again.  I 
am  a  dunce,  a  block,  an  idiot,  and  I  know  not 
whether  I  may  not  in  the  end  be  a  hopeless  lunatic." 

"  Frank,  this  is  sheer  craziness,"  said  Edna,  more 
puzzled  than  before.  "  Explain  your  meaning." 

"  You  do  not  know,  sister,  that  I  am  neglecting  my 
office,  abandoning  my  clients,  sacrificing  all  the  aims 
and  ambitions  of  my  life,  and  stultifying  myself  to 
myself,  and  chasing  shadows  like  a  boy,  or  rather  like 
a  madman." 

"My  dear,  dear  Frank,  you  must  instantly  disclose 
to  me  all  that  is  in  your  heart.  Are  you  in  love?" 

The  question  was  so  abrupt  and  so  unexpected  that 
young  Livingstone  was  startled  and  confused.  All  the 
blood  of  his  body  seemed  rushing  into  his  face.  He 
became  crimson  as  the  rose  at  his  feet.  Recovering 
himself  he  burst  out." 

"In    love?      I    am    as    uncertain    on    this    point    as 


fig  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

on  every  other.  I  can  neither  affirm  it  nor  deny  it. 
Even  if  I  were,  this,  under  the  circumstances,  would 
only  be  additional  proof  of  my  folly  or  my  lunacy. 
For  a  fellow  who  never  felt  the  flame  before,  to  turn 
madman  just  this  side  of  thirty  and  rave  after  a  girl 
he  scarcely  ever  saw  and  whom  he  never  heard 
converse,  is  an  idiocy  without  hope,  and  to  which  I 
never  believed  a  sensible  lawyer,  and  above  all  a 
Livingstone,  could  be  reduced." 

Edna  smiled  with  a  feeling  of  relief.  She  saw 
that  there  was  no  desperate  peril  in  her  brother's 
case.  Taking  his  hand  she  said  : 

"  Tell  me  the  whole  truth,  Frank,  as  you  promised. 
The  physician  must  understand  the  patient's  disease 
and  the  confessor  the  penitent's  sin.  Ha  !  light  begins 
to  dawn !  I  have  a  vision  :  Steamer  Britannia  on  the 
wide  Atlantic  ;  a  fair  English  girl ;  morning  walks 
and  moonlight  talks ;  looking  over  the  ocean  and 
spying  sails  together  with  a  glass ;  a  novel  in  the 
afternoon ;  whist  and  chess  in  the  saloon  in  the 
evening.  Yes,  your  look  betrays  you.  I  have  the 
secret  without  the  confession." 

Edna  paused  in  her  playfulness,  alarmed  at  the  pain 
and  gloom  in  her  brother's  face.  His  solemnity 
impressed  her  almost  with  awe. 

"You  have,  indeed,  my  sister,  begun  at  the  right 
place  and  yet  you  are  greatly  in  error.  I  will  give 
you  a  plain  recital  of  facts.  Just  before  we  sailed 
from  Liverpool  a  special  tender,  late  in  the  evening, 
brought  four  persons  on  the  Britannia,  known  appar- 


"  I  never  saw  them  after  1  left  the  ship." 
Page  72. 


THE    LIVINGSTONES.  71 

ently  only  to  the  Captain.  For  several  days  they  did 
not  leave  their  staterooms.  When  at  last  they  appeared 
011  deck  I  was  astonished  to  see  persons  who  bore 
every  mark  of  rank  and  distinction.  The  eldest,  a 
man  of  seventy,  nearly  resembled  Washington  in  his 
stature,  form  and  countenance,  having  in  his  aspect 
the  same  mingling  benevolence  and  majesty.  Without 
comparison,  the  younger  gentleman  was  the  handsomest 
man  on  whom  I  ever  looked  and  was  evidently  an 
eminent  military  officer.  And  what  shall  I  say  of  the 
ladies  ?  You  will  think  I  have  turned  poet  or  fool. 
If  the  elder,  a  brunette  of  forty,  represented  the  glory 
of  womanhood,  the  girl  not  twenty,  and  a  contrast  in 
everything  to  her  mother,  typified  its  sweetest  classic 
beauty.  Now  comes  the  saddest  experience  of  my 
life— so  sad  that  I  have  not  ventured  before  to  tell  it 
even  to  you. 

The  Britannia  encountered  a  fearful  storm.  Both 
ladies  were  lashed  in  their  chairs  to  enjoy  the  terrific 
spectacle,  and  the  officer  was  standing  before  them, 
when  a  lurch  of  the  ship  threw  him  over  the  railing 
into  the  ocean.  We  saw  him  hang  for  a  moment  on 
the  crest  of  a  mountain  wave  and  then  sink  for  ever. 
Rescue  was  impossible  in  such  a  fury  of  the  elements. 
But,  O  God,  who  shall  describe  what  followed  ?  The 
speechless  agony ;  the  sobs,  the  moans,  the  cries,  the 
frenzied  gestures  imploring  help,  and  then  the  silence 
and  impotence  of  despair !  I  saw  the  ladies  a  few 
times  afterwards  on  deck.  Niobe  is  grief  in  stone— 
theirs  was  agony  in  living  hearts.  When  our  vessel 


72  KINGS   OF    CAPITAL. 

landed  in  Boston  harbor,  they  and  the  venerable  man 
I  have  described  must  have  remained  on  board  to 
escape  observation.  I  never  saw  them  after  I  left  the 
ship,  and  could  learn  nothing  of  them  by  inquiry." 

Edna  heard  this  recital  breathless  and  in  tears. 
She  now  comprehended  the  reason  of  her  brother's 
recent  abstraction  and  silence,  and  inclination  to  soli 
tude.  Tenderly  kissing  him,  she  said : 

"  Frank,  I  thank  you  for  this  confidence.  It  draws 
us  together  by  a  closer  tie.  Our  own  lives  seem 
involved  in  this  mysterious  narration.  Your  words  are 
solemn  as  destiny.  And  you  have  no  clew  whatever  to 
these  persons  ?  " 

None !  I  feel  that  I  have  no  right  to  intrude  on 
their  privacy,  and  yet  I  am  irresistibly  impelled  to  dis 
cover  who  and  where  they  are.  I  agree  with  you,  that 
they  are  in  some  way  to  be  linked  with  our  own  future. 
Indeed,  their  images  so  fill  my  mind  that  I  can  do 
nothing  in  my  business.  I  neglect  my  office,  and  I 
and  my  affairs  seem  rushing  to  destruction.  It  is  for 
this  I  reproach  myself  and  have  sought  advice  from 
you.  Surely  it  is  not  wise  for  mere  fancies  and 
impressions  so  to  abandon  the  practical  affairs  of  life." 

"  All  will  be  made  plain,"  said  Edna,  with  confi 
dence.  "  Heaven,  in  its  own  time,  will  reveal  to  you 
the  path  of  your  duty.  Under  the  circumstances,  I 
do  not  think  your  conduct  either  erratic  or  culpable." 

"  Thank  you,  Edna ;  thank  you,  my  sister.  Your 
words  are  full  of  light,  strength  and  inspiration.  A 
cloud  is  lifted  from  me.  Last  night  I  dreamed  that 


THE    LIVINGSTONES.  73 

I  saw  the  two  ladies  and  the  aged  gentleman  standing 
together  on  the  verge  of  a  frightful  precipice  and  over 
a  roaring  cataract,  while  human  demons  were  leering 
and  grinning  above  them  in  the  clouds.  A  voice, 
shrieking  my  own  name,  awoke  me  from  my  sleep." 

"  This,  Frank,"  Edna  exclaimed,  with  great  resolu 
tion  and  animation,  ' '  is  another  indication  that  you 
have  a  work  to  perform  in  regard  to  these  English 
strangers.  Go  forward !  you  will  find  your  help  and 
your  reward  from  Heaven.  It  is  your  destiny." 

The  brother  and  sister  now  joined  their  parents  at 
the  breakfast  table.  When  the  meal  was  finished,  Judge 
Livingstone  asked  his  son  into  his  study. 

"Frank,"  he  said,  "you  must  go  to  Albany  on  the 
evening  train." 

His  son  started  and  showed  an  evident  disinclina 
tion  for  departure  on  so  short  a  notice. 

"Father,"  he  replied,  "is  it  absolutely  nepessary  ? 
I  have  on  my  mind  a  matter  in  the  city  of  the  utmost 
importance." 

"  I  am  not  surprised,"  answered  the  Judge,  "  at  this 
unusual  disinclination,  since  I  have  noticed  for  some 
weeks  that  you  seemed  some  person  other  than  your 
self.  Whether  your  affair  be  of  the  head  or  of  the 
heart,  I  am  unable  to  decide ;  but  I  know  that  the 
urgency  of  the  case  in  Albany  is  extreme." 

"May  I  inquire  what  the  particular  necessity  may 
be?" 

"  Do  you  know   Jude  Oilip  ? "   asked  the  Judge. 

"I    know   that  he    is    a  rascal  who  lives  by  bribing 


74  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

other  rascals,  and  has  built,  from  the  proceeds  of  his 
villanies,  one  of  the  most  splendid  houses  on  the  Avenue. 
He  drives  the  finest  horses  in  the  Park." 

"  Well !  Jude  is  now  in  full  blast  at  the  Capitol. 
He  no  longer  works  secretly.  Indeed,  he  seems  to 
glory  in  his  vocation  as  a  lobbyist,  openly  boasting 
that  he  buys  the  Legislative  donkeys,  and  owns  them, 
ears  and  all,  and  drives  them  and  whips  them  as  he 
pleases.  Unlike  all  other  animals,  food  only  stimulates 
their  appetites.  The  more  you  pay  the  more  you  have 
to  pay.  This  legislative  greed  is  insatiable.  And  Jude 
is  secure  in  his  conscious  ownership.  When  bought, 
a  man  is  in  the  power  of  his  purchaser  and  ready  for 
the  next  more  desperate  villany." 

"Is  there  no  escape?"  asked  Frank,  anxiously.  "I 
know  that  there  are  some  honest  men  in  the  Legisla 
ture.  Where  are  the  Courts  ?  Can  nothing  be  done  ? " 

"  We  have  a  personal  interest  in  that  question," 
answered  the  Judge.  "  Unless  we  bestir  ourselves, 
this  INTER  OCEANIC  RAILWAY  will  obtain  its  charter, 
and  for  its  depot  confiscate  this  very  home  of  our 
fathers.  Such  tyranny  would  shake  any  throne  in 
Europe." 

"  This  is  abominable,"  exclaimed  Frank.  "  I  fear, 
too,  that  our  municipal  corporations,  in  every  part  of 
this  country,  are  taxing  and  borrowing  most  recklessly, 
while  most  of  their  money,  instead  of  improving  and 
beautifying  our  towns  and  cities,  is  in  the  pockets  and 
palaces  of  these  shameless  villains.  Our  own  metrop 
olis  owes  more  than  a  hundred  millions  of  dollars,  and 


THE    LIVINGSTONES.  75 

yet  her  docks  and  streets  and  parks  are  a  disgrace  to 
civilization." 

"Too  true,  my  son;  too  true  !"  said  the  Judge  sadly. 
"  The  cloud  over  our  country  was  never  blacker  even 
during  our  civil  war.  No  mediaeval  barons  were  more 
daring  in  their  plunder  or  more  ruthless  in  their 
tyranny  than  our  municipal  rings  and  corrupt  corpora 
tions  ;  and  yet  in  every  community,  in  every  legislature, 
at  the  bar  and  on  the  bench,  are  to  be  found  honest  men 
who  will  yet  save  us  from  ruin.  The  malady,  after 
all,  is  not  in  the  blood  of  the  body  politic.  And  Frank," 
he  added,  rising  from  his  chair  and  looking  like  the 
impersonation  of  resolute  and  indignant  virtue,  "  I  will 
never  cease  fighting  the  rascals  until  the  right  tri 
umphs." 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  so,  father,"  exclaimed 
Frank,  kindled  into  a  fresh  enthusiasm  of  courage. 
"  Such  words  from  you  have  great  weight  and  inspire 
strong  hope.  I  will  co-operate  in  every  possible  way. 
It  is  now  exceedingly  inconvenient  and  disagreeable  for 
me  to  go  to  Albany,  but  I  will  make  immediate 
preparations  and  be  ready  for  the  next  train." 

"Right,  my  son,  right,"  said  the  Judge,  warmly 
shaking  Frank's  hand.  "I  perceive  that  you  are  true 
to  the  lessons  of  your  youth.  We  have  a  great  work 
to  accomplish,  but  Heaven  will  prove  our  help  and  our 
shield.  Farewell!  farewell!" 

Judge  Livingstone  represented  one  of  the  oldest  and 
wealthiest  families  in  the  country.  He  had  vast 
estates,  including  a  noble  mansion,  with  ample  and 


76  KINGS    OF   CAPITAL. 

beautiful  grounds,  on  the  Hudson,  and  an  almost  palatial 
home  in  the  city.  His  ancestors  had  been  long  faithful 
adherents  to  the  king,  and  then  revolutionary  patriots, 
after  the  conservative  type  of  Washington  and  Hamilton. 
Nor  was  he  without  admiration  for  the  refinements  of 
a  court,  the  security  of  an  aristocracy,  and  the  stability 
of  a  monarchy,  founded  on  the  popular  intelligence 
and  guarded  by  constitutional  provisions.  But  he  knew 
that  the  social  and  political  institutions  of  Europe  were 
impossible  in  America.  He  was,  therefore,  absolutely 
faithful  to  the  Republic.  What  he  most  dreaded  was 
an  ignorant  and  vulgar  monied  aristocracy,  whose  bale 
ful  monopolies  would  be  crushing  as  even  slavery  itself. 
This  he  believed  the  worst  curse  of  any  nation.  In 
him,  it  excited  not  only  opposition,  but  repugnance  and 
loathing.  It  was  to  extend  and  energise  his  influence 
that  he  accepted  judicial  office  and  trained  Frank  for 
the  bar.  He  and  his  son  also  mingled  in  the  primary 
assemblies  of  the  people,  and  were  always  ready,  by 
their  pens,  their  speeches,  their  time  and  their  money 
to  promote  the  great  object  of  their  lives.  The  ladies 
of  the  family  shared  their  spirit,  and  while  there  had 
never  been  any  formal  explanation  or  agreement,  yet 
all  were  acquiring  popular  instincts  and  working 
together  toward  a  popular  end.  Thus  their  aristocratic 
traditions  were  gradually  exchanging  themselves  for 
more  kindly  democratic  sympathies,  which  in  the  end 
would  identify  them  with  the  people. 


O  Poverty  !  how  fearful  thy  face  !  more  than  death  thou  art  the  dread  of  our 
humanity!"     Page  Iii8. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

POVERTY. 

;YMAN  RISK  had  interpreted  a  few 
lines  in  "  YOUNG  AMERICA,"  an 
nouncing  the  death  of  Colonel 
Neville  and  the  arrival  of  the 
jiQ»  family  in  Boston,  with  an  almost 
preternatural  sagacity.  It  was 
a  mere  reportorial  hint  which  the  Living 
stones  never  saw.  By  means  of  it,  with 
one  quick  glance,  Risk  had  pierced  the 
situation.  An  examination  of  the  rail 
way  books  recording  the  shares  confirmed 
his  impressions.  He  followed  his  telegram 
by  his  person  in  the  Victoria  palace-car  to 
Boston  without  communicating  the  secret  of  his 
purpose  to  his  confederates.  The  Nevilles  were 
discovered  with  some  difficulty  and  he  had  the  address 
to  win  their  confidence  and  convey  them  to  the  Me 
tropolis  in  a  style  splendid  even  to  their  aristocratic 
English  tastes. 

Lord  Arlington  had  been  paralyzed  into  feebleness 
by  the  fatigues  and  excitements  of  the  voyage  and  was 
placed  on  a  couch  in  the  car  in  a  state  of  dumb  and  piti 
able  impotency.  All  these  things  made  Risk's  services 


30  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

more  needful  and  acceptable,  and  enabled  him  gradually  to 
introduce  to  the  family  Planning,  and  even  Slykes,  with 
out  exciting  suspicion  or  disgust.  The  physician  was  their 
paid  tool,  and  all  the  business  and  correspondence  of 
the  Nevilles  passed  into  their  hands.  The  helplessness 
of  these  noble  ladies,  in  a  strange  land,  and  the  ill 
ness  of  the  Earl,  greatly  aided  the  plans  of  their  pre 
tended  friends,  who  took  every  means  of  increasing  the 
barriers  between  them  and  all  the  world.  They  had 
been  established  in  a  commodious  and  attractive  house, 
in  a  retired,  but  fashionable  avenue,  where  they  lived 
absolutely  unknown,  except  to  Risk  and  his  confed 
erates.  Mrs.  Neville  had  already  parted  with  her  rail 
way  shares  at  an  enormous  sacrifice,  and  also  with  all 
her  jewels  and  other  valuables,  except  her  diamond 
ring,  and  was  now  confronted  with  the  necessity  of 
selling  even  that  precious  gift  from  her  husband  and 
removing  with  her  helpless  old  father  and  her  lovely 
daughter  to  more  economical  and  obscure  lodgings  in 
an  unpleasant  region  of  the  city.  Trouble  and  sorrow 
had  compelled  her  to  make  Lucy  the  sharer  of  her 
counsels,  and  this  established  between  them  a  premature 
confidence  and  sympathy.  The  fair  fingers  and  bosom 
of  the  daughter,  too,  had  been  gradually  stripped  of 
adorning  gems  and  gold,  but  she  was  only  the  more 
charming  in  the  light  of  her  own  native  grace  and 
simple  beauty. 

"Lucy,"  said  her  mother,  in  tears,  "we  have  parted 
with  everything  except  this  brilliant  on  my  finger,  and 
I  confess  that  I  have  not  the  courage  to  remove  it." 


Trouble  and  sorrow  established  between  them  confidence  and  sympathy  : 

Page  80. 


POVERTY.  83 

"  Oh,  mamma,"  the  girl  replied,  with  bitter  sobbings 
and  the  deepest  anguish,  "this  is  dreadful!  Can  you 
not  prevent  it?  Wait  a  few  days.  We  will  surely 
soon  obtain  remittances  from  England." 

"  I  have  written  and  waited,  my  daughter,  and 
waited  and  written  in  vain.  Some  mysterious  influence 
seems  around  us  and  against  us.  First  your  father's 
death,  and  then  your  grandfather's  helpless  suffering ! 
A  barrier  rises  to  separate  us  from  all  we  love,  and 
we  appear  to  be  deserted  by  God  and  man.  Poverty 
stands  glaring  in  our  eyes.  It  seems  more  than  human 
nerves  and  souls  can  bear.  Soon  we  will  be  forced  to 
leave  this  house  and  seek  one  cheaper  and  less  burden 
some.  Oh,  how  I  dread  this,  on  my  dear  father's 
account !  We  are  sinking  into  hopeless  abysses  of 
misery." 

"Can  I  not  write,  or  teach,  or  sew,  or  do  anything 
for  our  support?"  cried  Lucy,  overcome  by  her  emotions, 
and,  above  all,  by  her  sense  of  helplessness.  "Oh,  I 
feel  so  weak,  and  so  ignorant  of  all  that  could  help 
us!" 

"Alas,  my  Lucy!"  replied  Mrs.  Neville,  with  a 
shiver  of  terror  at  the  thought  of  her  daughter's 
exposure.  "What  could  you  do  in  this  strange  city? 
You  know  nothing  of  its  perils  and  have  never  been 
taught  to  labor.  Nothing  so  deplorable  as  our  aristo 
cratic  tastes  and  habits,  with  nothing  for  their  support ! 
I  am  in  despair !  Oh,  I  would  rather  tear  my  heart 
from  my  body  than  this  ring  from  my  finger!  But, 
alas,  my  flesh  can  bring  us  no  relief,  and  the  gold 


g4  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

and  the  gem  will  support  us,  perhaps,  until  aid  comes 
from  home." 

"But,  mamma,  that  diamond  is  the  gift  of  dear 
papa.  He  placed  it  on  your  finger.  To  remove  it 
would  be  too  terrible.  Oh,  never,  never  take  it  off  ! " 

The  girl  wept  in  her  sorrow,  and  the  tears,  more 
precious  than  gems,  sparkled  on  her  cheek,  while  love 
breathes  new  charms  over  her  splendid  beauty.  Hearts 
so  melted  can  never  be  ice  again.  Only  suffering 
turns  to  sympathetic  drops  the  hard  crystal  of  a  soul. 

While  Lucy  was  weeping  there  was  a  sharp,  quick, 
impatient  ring  at  the  door-bell,  and  she  had  just  time 
to  retire  as  Mr.  Samuel  Slykes  entered  the  room. 

"Good-morning,  Mrs.  Neville,"  that  gentleman 
exclaimed,  in  his  high,  nasal  tone,  and  with  a  pecu 
liar  twitch  of  his  brow  and  gleam  of  his  eye.  "Good- 
morning  ;  sorry  to  see  you  so  sad.  This  world  is  as 
hard  as  a  steel-rail,  and  that's  well  thumped  and 
pounded  by  our  train-wheels,  I  tell  you." 

"Yes,  Mr.  Slykes;  my  troubles  have  been  almost 
beyond  endurance.  Is  there  no  more  money  in  the 
bank?" 

"Not  a  red,  madam,  not  a  red.  Your  bank  ac 
count's  like  a  tender  without  wood  or  water.  I  have 
done  all  in  my  power  —  sold  stocks  and  jewels  and 
other  ornaments  to  best  advantage,  but  you  draw 
checks  as  if  you  owned  the  Bank  of  England.  You 
must  learn  to  shut  down  the  brakes  on  your  expenses, 
or  you'll  be  flyin'  the  track  in  spite  of  me.  Can't 
keep  you  on  without  more  economy." 


POVERTY.  85 

"Mr.  Slykes,"  she  replied,  with  a  repelling  and 
offended  dignity,  "  your  tone  and  your  words  are  not 
agreeable.  Such  interference  with  my  affairs  I  will  not 
permit.  I  perceive  in  you  a  familiarity  you  never 
before  attempted.  Do  not  repeat  it  again.  Remember 
that  this  house  is  mine,  and  you  remain  in  it  on  the 
condition  of  your  respectful  behavior." 

"Pardon  me,  madam.  No  offense  intended,  as  the 
locomotive  said  to  the  cow  it  smashed." 

"Then,"  returned  Mrs.  Neville,  despite  her  sorrow, 
smiling  at  the  queerness  of  the  man  and  the  quaint- 
ness  of  his  speech,  "I  must  infer  from  your  own  com 
parison,  that  you,  Mr.  Samuel  Slykes,  are  the  murder 
ous  machine,  while  I  am  the  innocent  and  unsuspecting, 
but  slain  and  mangled  victim.  Possibly,  there  may  be 
more  in  your  suggestion  than  you  wish  me  to  com 
prehend  at  present." 

Even  Slykes,  in  his  stupendous  assurance,  had  to 
admit  to  himself  that  for  once  in  his  life  his  slang 
had  betrayed  him  into  a  blunder.  Usually,  he  was 
happy  in  a  consciousness  of  superlative  merit  and  an 
infallibility  more  secure  and  serene  than  any  Pope  ever 
enjoyed.  He  knew  that,  without  clearly  meaning  it, 
the  lady  had  expressed  the  exact  truth.  All  the 
plunder  from  her  stocks  and  gems  and  gold  had  passed 
to  the  account  of  the  INTER  OCEANIC  RAILWAY,  to  help 
it  through  its  gigantic  struggle  for  existence.  Slightly 
coloring  and  hesitating,  for  the  first  time  in  his  honor 
able  existence,  he  exclaimed  : 

"No,  Mrs.   Neville,  no!    Sam  Slykes  ran  off  the  track 


gg  KINGS   OF    CAPITAL. 

for  once— clean  throwed  over  by  a  lady.  I  have  been 
the  blessin'  of  your  life  in  raisin'  money,  and  Lyman, 
Coolie  and  myself  will  bring  you  through  your  troubles 
like  three  locomotives  on  a  coal  train." 

"All  this  may  be  true,  Mr.  Slykes,  and  I  will  not 
now  question  your  assertion.  At  all  events,  I  am 
placed  in  circumstances  where  I  am  compelled  to  trust 
you,  but  I  am  not  quite  ready  to  take  this  ring  from 
my  finger." 

"Bound  to  come,  madam;  bound  to  come,"  replied 
Slykes,  with  a  brutal  assurance  and  indelicacy.  "  Old 
England  has  forsaken  you.  She  never  answered  a 
letter.  Your  expenses  here  are  big,  I  must  tell  you— 
doctor's  bills,  nurse's  bills,  baker's  bills,  butcher's  bills, 
eatin'  bills,  drinkin'  bills,  wearin'  bills,  washin'  bills, 
servant  bills,  and  all  the  other  bills  that  take  dollars 
out  of  a  bank,  like  blood  out  of  a  sick  man,  or  steam 
out  of  a  locomotive,  runnin'  without  wood  or  water  at 
the  rate  of  fifty  mile  an  hour." 

"  Mr.  ;Slykes,  this  is  more  offensive  than  ever.  I 
insist  that  you  change  your  manner  towards  me.  You 
are  not  justified  by  circumstances  in  using  such  words 
to  me." 

"  Can't  help  it,  Mrs.  Neville.  If  I  pay  your  bills, 
that  ring  is  bound  to  come  off— bound  to  come,  as  your 
dollars  were  bound  to  go  out  of  the  bank.  You  now 
owe  Sam  Slykes  a  gentle  thousand,  advanced  out  of 
his  own  pocket,  and  he  must  have  his  money,  sure  as 
a  steam  biler  won't  hiss  without  fuel." 

JVlrs.    Neville  was  .aroused  to  intense  indignation  and 


POVERTY.  87 

disgust  by  such  a  coarse  and  loathesome  speech. 
There  was  something  in  this  vulgar  villain  and  his 
eager  assertion  of  his  power  which  excited  her  anger 
more  than  her  fears. 

A  horrible  suspicion  flashed  over  her  that  she  had 
been  betrayed,  fleeced  and  ruined  by  a  gang  of  rascals. 
She  saw  that  if  Slykes  was  a  villain,  Risk  was  a  villain, 
and  Planning  was  a  villain.  In  the  excitement  of  her 
suspicion  and  the  keenness  of  her  agony,  she  said  all 
she  should  have  concealed,  and  all  that  could  tempt  the 
cupidity  of  a  rogue  like  Slykes. 

"Do  you  know,  sir,"  she  inquired,  "the  value  of 
this  jewel  you  are  so  eager  to  secure?" 

As  she  spoke,  she  extended  her  hand,  and  her  white 
finger  passed  throug'h  a  brilliant  gleam  of  the  morning 
sun,  streaming  in  between  the  openings  of  the  curtains. 
It  was  a  spectacle  to  be  remembered.  The  magnificent 
diamond  burned  in  a  blaze  of  glory,  and  flashed  and 
glittered  as  if  showering  from  itself,  in  an  exuberance 
of  conscious  wealth  and  joy,  the  sparkles  of  innumerable 
suns.  In  the  eyes  and  face  of  Slykes  were  responsive 
gleams  of  eager  and  voracious  delight. 

Oh,  thou  beautiful  gem,  born  in  the  ages  of  the  past, 
from  dark  carbon  and  bright  flame,  amid  the  volcanic 
throes  of  a  forming  world,  why  didst  thou  come  forth 
from  thy  depths  to  awaken  the  greed  of  men  ?  What 
passions  rage  around  thee  !  What  plots  and  wiles  and 
wars  !  The  envy  of  beauty,  the  avarice  of  wealth,  the 
ambitions  of  kings  are  kindled  in  thy  innocent  light ! 
How  often  hast  thou  been  bought  with  the  blood  of 


gg  KINGS   OF  CAPITAL. 

murder  and  even  the  carnage  of  battle,  until  around 
thy  beauty  is  a  red  glare  of  ruined  hearts  and  lives  ! 
Glorious  as  thou  art,  perhaps  it  had  been  better  to 
have  slept  in  thy  native  darkness  than  to  have 
delighted  human  eyes  while  arousing  human  passions, 
and  setting  in  motion  such  trains  of  guilt  and  miseries. 

Mrs.  Neville  continued:  "This  jewel  has  a  history. 
It  has  sparkled  on  the  brow  of  Indian  kings.  My 
Oscar  snatched  it  with  his  heroic  hand  from  the  flames 
of  Delhi  and  obtained  it  as  a  reward  from  the  British 
Government,  had  it  set  in  this  ring,  and  placed  it  him 
self  around  this  finger.  Mr.  Slykes,  I  am  not  prepared 
to  remove  it;  and  I  must  say  to  you  plainly  that,  after 
your  manner  this  morning,  it  shall  never  be  given  to 
you.  When  my  mind  is  ready  and  the  exigencies  inex 
orable,  I  will  send  a  note  to  Mr.  E!sk.  He  will  behave 
with  the  kindness  and  delicacy  due  to  a  lady  in  distress." 

Having  thus  spoken,  Mrs.  Neville  retired  with  an 
inexpressible  dignity,  and  Sam  Slykes  slunk  out  of  the 
door  and  down  the  street,  and  to  his  own  house,  con 
founded  and  overpowered  by  such  an  exhibition  of 
virtuous  indignation,  excited  by  injustice  and  distress. 


CHAPTER  V. 
VILLONT'S  DEN. 


.HORTLY  after  the  events  we  have 
related,  Slykes  could  have  been  seen 
passing  down  the  most  crowded 
street  of  the  busy  city.  He  was 
thinking,  and  twirling,  as  he  walked, 
his  sympathetic  cane.  Darting  from  the 
street  he  ran  up  a  flight  of  stairs,  made 
some  brief  inquiries,  hastened  down  and 
mingled  once  more  with  the  human 
stream.  After  pursuing  his  way  for 
many  blocks,  he  turned  into  an  obscure 
and  narrow  street,  and,  twisting  and 
winding,  stood  at  last  before  a  tall,  ungainly  building, 
whose  cheerless  ugliness  caused  a  chill  in  the  beholder. 
Mounting  story  after  story,  he  pushed  himself  along 
dirty,  dismal  passages,  until  he  stopped  and  knocked 
at  a  massive  door.  There  was  a  rustle  within.  A 
chair  scraped  on  the  floor.  At  last  the  door  swung 
noiselessly  open,  and  Slykes  stood  within.  A  singular 
being  confronted  him.  Raising  his  voice,  he  cried  out, 
in  his  peculiar  tone : 

"  Counting    your    day's    profits,    my    sallow    beauty  ? 


92  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

Sly    fellows,    you    detectives.      Sly  as   a  tramp  stealing 
his  ride  under  a  freight  train  " 

"  Monsieur,  Sleeks,"  replied  Villont,  with  an  impish 
laugh.  "You,  sare,  and  I,  sare,  know  dis  world,  and 
dat  hombog  in  your  beesness  and  in  mine  is  von 
good  cape-tal,  and  we  both  have  von  great  huge 
in-ves-tee-ment." 

The  deformity  laughed,  or  rather  grimaced  after 
this  hit.  His  fiery,  piercing  eyes  gleamed  under  his 
shaggy  brows  with  a  species  of  hideous  delight.  Every 
wrinkle  of  his  yellow  face  twitched  and  twisted.  His 
crooked  mouth  showed  his  unsightly  teeth,  as  he  leered 
with  an  almost  infernal  grin,  while  the  spectacles 
across  his  wizzened  brow  grew  tremulous  with  excite 
ments  of  the  skin,  and  his  small,  nervous  fingers 
jerked  the  tassels  of  his  worn  and  disproportioned 
gown. 

"  Must  be  up  to  thieves  to  nab  them,  my  detective 
innocent,"  said  Slykes.  "  Rascality's  the  capital  in 
catchin'  rascals,  and  no  man  has  bigger  stock  in  trade 
than  you,  Villont.  You're  packed  full  as  a  freight  car 
in  grain  movin'  season.  But  where's  Midge — that 
.little  angel  in  the  devil's  den?" 

The  Frenchman  started  back  as  if  he  had  been 
struck.  Only  one  light  was  left  in  his  wicked  old 
heart — it  was  Midgetto.  He  trained  the  boy  to  his 
vile  arts, 'often  with  a  cruel  sternness,  not  sparing  hard 
blows ;  but,  after  all,  he  loved  him,  and  worked  for 
him,  and  intended  for  him  his  accumulating  wealth. 
And  Midge  was  a  beautiful  child.  His  Italian  face 


VILLONT'S  DEN.  93 

was  more  suitable  to  palaces  than  the  dark  hole  in 
which  he  lived,  and  he  seemed  like  some  cherub  who, 
by  a  fatal  mischance,  had  been  lured  into  the  service 
of  the  pit. 

"Sare,"  he  almost  shrieked,  "you  let  my  Midge 
alone — you  speak  not  his  name — he  and  you  must  be 
far  apart  as  de  poles ;  as  de  star  from  de  earth ;  as 
de  ends  of  de  universe." 

Slykes,  thrusting  his  hands  down  deeply  in  his 
pockets,  stood  staring  into  the  face  of  Villont,  whose 
little,  fiery,  cross  eyes  darted  their  flames  in  opposite 
directions. 

"Old  tight-fist,"  cried  Sam,  "I  want  Midge  myself, 
and  sure  as  a  steam-whistle  I'll  have  him." 

"No,  no,"  replied  Villont,  shaking  his  head  and 
hands  to  enforce  his  negative.  "  Midge  me  light,  me 
comfort,  me  little  child  ;  you  indulge  von  vast  joke." 

"Mistaken,  my.  French  beauty,"  said  Slykes,  with 
an  impudent  and  aggravating  coolness;  "give  him  or 
hang,  old  money  bags  !  Sam  Slykes,  just  now,  is  a 
working  locomotive,  bent  on  business.  He  knows  what 
he's  after  and  what  he  can  do.  He'll  have  Midge, 
sure  as  you  studied  Jesuit  under  the  Pope." 

Villont  started  at  this  allusion  and  trembled  vio 
lently.  He  was  not  usually  taken  off  his  guard,  but 
Slykes  had  unnerved  him  in  a  moment.  With  a  vio 
lent  effort  to  recover  himself,  he  said:  "  Vot  dat  you 
mean,  Monsieur  Sleeks  ?  Villont  study  vit  de  holy 
fathers  in  de  Eternal  Citie.  Ha !  too  funnie,  too 
f  unnie  !  Villont  Jesuit  Priest  !  Imposseebeel ! " 


94  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

"  Fifteen  years  learnin'  piety  with  the  Pope's  folks, 
and  a  precious  saint  they  made  of  you !  Why  did 
you  leave  them,  old  virtue  ?  Tell  me,  or  give  me 
Midge." 

Villont  glared  on  his  tormentor  with  fury  and  with 
terror.  Slykes  was  gaming  the  ascendency  over  him 
with  a  serpentine  fascination.  His  attenuated  frame 
shook  as  he  stared  and  trembled.  Lifting  his  broken 
voice,  he  almost  shrieked  : 

"A  lie,  Sam  Sleeks,  von  deevileesh,  helleesh  lie; 
von  lie  from  the  black  pit  of  sat-tan !  Leave  dis 
appartemen'." 

"Not  gone  yet,"  said  Slykes,  surveying  him  with 
his  peculiar  look  of  cool  and  unequalled  impudence. 
"  Not  gone,  as  the  balked  locomotive  said  when  the 
boys  greased  the  rails.  Sam  Slykes  sticks  to  his 
friends  like  whale  oil  to  a  steam  slide.  Why  did 
you  leave  Rome,  old  piety  ?  Why  did  you  say  good- 
by  to  your  shovel  hat  ?  Why  did  you  take  off  your 
black  gown  and  stop  goin'  round  the  holy  city  like  a 
hungry  crow  ?  Why  did  you  come  to  America  and 
play  Jesuit  in  the  detective  business  ?  Tell  me 
that  ! " 

Slykes  stepped  nearer  his  victim  and  looked  into 
his  dilated  eyes  with  a  sharp  stare,  adding : 

"I  know  a  thing  or  two.  A  woman's  in  the 
case,  Villont !  Ha  !  yes ;  a  woman,  my  Jesuit  innocent." 

Villont  shrank  into  himself.  His  face  turned  black 
with  hate  and  fear.  He  would  have  leaped  through 
the  floor — out  of  the  window — into  the  sea— anywhere 


VILLONT'S  DEN.  97 

to     hide    himself.      In     an     impotence     of     doubt     and 
terror   he   burst   forth  : 

"  Sleeks,  you  be  von  imp,  von  demon,  von  foul 
feend,  von  deveel,  von  sat-tan  himself,  come  up  from 
de  flames." 

Slykes  looked  and  laughed  as  if  he  properly 
answered  to  these  personages  one  and  all. 

"Yes,  Villont,"  he  resumed,  "a  woman  in  the  case; 
countess,  young,  rich,  beautiful ;  came  to  confession ; 
told  you  her  story ;  touched  your  soft  heart  ;  pitied 
her  for  her  sins,  and  fled  with  her  to  Arno  Castle ; 
caught,  tried,  convicted  by  the  Holy  Church,  and 
came  to  America.  Unfrocked,  my  venerable  good 
ness.  Had  a  son  born  here ;  our  pretty  Midge — the 
boy  I  want  and  the  boy  I'll  have.  Where's  the 
woman,  my  cut-throat  ?  Sam  Slykes  knows  all 
about  it.  Give  me  Midge,  my  poison-dropper,  and  do 
my  work,  or  hang  by  the  neck  until  you're  dead, 
dead,  dead." 

You  own  the  man  whose  crime  you  know.  He 
becomes  your  slave.  No  longer  his  own,  you  can  use 
him  as  your  property,  your  tool,  your  thing,  and  you 
can  lead  him  on  and  on  and  on,  into  deeper  gloom, 
guilt  and  danger.  Such  is  the  penalty  of  sin.  If 
man  cannot  escape  man,  how  much  less  Omniscience  ! 

A  dark  history,  in  an  instant,  passed  in  blood  and 
flame  before  the  soul  of  Villont.  He  saw  it  all,  and 
he  saw  himself.  The  events  of  his  life  flashed  over 
him  like  lightning.  His  bright  childhood,  his  pious 
youth,  his  vow,  his  discipline,  his  sacred  studies,  his 


98  KINGS  OF  CAPITAL. 

cell,  where  he  saw  the  fires  of  the  pit  and  heard  its 
screams,  and  then  witnessed  the  dropping  blood  of  the 
crucifixion,  followed  by  the  ascending  triumph ;  his 
fraternity,  the  chair  and  bed  and  table  and  stone-floor ; 
his  beads  and  matins  and  vespers ;  his  pious  works ; 
his  peace  of  conscience,  and  his  serene,  priestly  joy ; 
contrasting  with  these  the  fair  face  of  the  confessing 
girl,  her  penitent  tears  and  tones,  the  dark  temptation, 
the  final  seduction  ;  the  brief  whirl  of  guilty  pleasure ; 
the  detection,  the  trial,  the  condemnation  ;  the  flight, 
the  birth  of  Midge,  the  first  thought  of  murder,  the 
resolve,  the  plan,  the  midnight  drop,  the  reproving 
look,  the  gasp,  the  agony,  the  death,  the  burial,  the 
grave— all  rushed  and  glared  and  burned  and  shrieked 
about  him,  until  he  staggered  and  leaned  against  the 
wall.  Then  were  visible  the  wonderful  effects  of  those 
long,  stern  years  of  discipline.  He  recovered  by  one 
strong  effort  of  his  will,  and  stood  as  calm,  as  keen, 
as  cold,  as  when  he  heard  the  first  knock  at  the  door, 
which  was  the  prelude  to  this  scene  of  terror. 

"  Monsieur  Sleekes,"  he  repeated,  with  a  slow,  firm, 
and  easy  determination,  "you  want  de  boy— de  leetle 
Midge.  You  shall  have  him  with  pleashure — de  greatest 
pleashure  posseebel ! " 

But  the  task  of  subjection  was  not  yet  completed. 
Slykes  went  straight  to  the  wall.  He  touched  a  spring. 
A  concealed  door  flew  open.  Yillont's  treasure-room 
was  revealed.  With  the  leer  and  cunning  of  a  fiend 
the  torturer  pointed  within  the  place,  saying : 

"A    hundred    thousand    for   a    rainy   day!      Sly  fox, 


VILLONT'S  DEN.  99 

Villont !  Ha !  a  prudent  old  piety !  Sam  Slykes  can 
hang  you  by  the  neck  and  take  your  gold  and  green 
backs  for  the  benefit  of  the  state,  getting  one-half  for 
his  precious  information.  He  can  explode  you  like  a 
signal-cap  under  a  train- wheel." 

Villont  stared  and  glared  in  a  bewildering  amaze 
ment.  His  power  of  resistance  was  gone.  He  passed 
under  the  dominion  of  his  base  and  remorseless  employer 
until  the  hour  of  vengeance  should  strike  in  his  favor 
its  hoarse  and  hollow  notes. 

"Villont,"  resumed  Slykes,  "hear  me  and  mind  me. 
No  triflin'  or  dodgin'.  Tell  Midge  to  act  as  I  say, 
and  send  him  to-morrow  to  live  in  a  family  at  five 
hundred  on  the  avenue." 

"  Eight,  Monsieur  Sleekes,  right ;  all  right,  sare.  It 
shall  be  as  you  wish." 

"Now,  I  want  the  truth  from  you,  my  honeymoon 
— bright  as  a  headlight  when  the  reflector's  rubbed. 
Has  Frank  Livingstone  employed  you  to  find  two 
English  ladies  and  an  old  English  gentleman?" 

"  Certairiement,  me  good  sare.  We  search  de  citie 
in  all  de  various  directions — everywhere,  everywhere." 

"Have  you  found  them?" 

"No,  no;  dey  baffle  us!  No  trace  of  dem  at  all  any 
where." 

"Sit  down,  now,"  says  Slykes,  "at  that  telegraph — 
tell  the  lightnin'  Sam  Slykes  wants  it,  and  click  off, 
through  your  detective  room,  a  message  to  Frank  Living 
stone,  in  these  words,  exact  as  the  figgers  on  a  steel 
rail:  'The  English  ladies  have  gone  to  Chicago.'" 


100  KINGS   OF  CAPITAL. 

Yillont  took  his  place  at  the  instrument  to  flash 
along  its  innocent  wires  the  confusing  lie  destined  to 
mislead  the  man  who  was  devoting  himself  to  the 
rescue  of  tried  and  suffering  virtue.  The  thin  fingers 
moved  over  the  keys  with  a  light  but  sure  touch, 
afraid  to  disobey  the  tyrant  commanding  their  skilled 
and  flying  motions.  When  the  message  had  been  tele 
graphed,  the  hideous  operator  paused  in  his  compelled 
work,  still  retaining  his  seat.  Planting  himself  before 
Villont,  Slykes,  with  a  brazen  and  remorseless  voice 
and  look,  gave  his  parting  directions  : 

"My  own  monk,  don't  you  forget!  Midge  goes  to 
morrow  into  service  of  the  English  people  at  five 
hundred  on  the  avenue — they  want  him  for  waiter  and 
errand  boy,  and  I  want  him  to  bring  here  to  your 
honest  hands  all  their  letters  to  and  from  England; 
and  you,  old  true  heart,  must  give  them  to  my  mes 
senger  for  me — me,  mind  you,  no  one  else — no  copyin', 
no  sellin'  out  to  Frank  Livingstone,  no  treachery  of 
any  kind  for  love,  money  or  revenge — none  of  it,  my 
gray-haired  goodness,  or  that  little  yellow  neck  will 
make  acquaintance  with  ten  feet  of  hard  rope,  and 
that  fair  carcass  be  swung,  as  it  deserved  to  be  twelve 
years  ago,  up  towards  heaven  by  a  gallows  length,  and 
then  Sam  Slykes  will  be  into  your  money  bags.  If 
you  turn  false,  my  sweet  reliability,  you  had  better 
have  a  cow-catcher  fly  through  your  ribs  when  the 
lightnin'  train's  making  up  for  lost  time." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

BROTHER    AND    SISTER. 
» 

HE  LIVINGSTONES  usuaUy  came 
to  their  seat  on  the  Hudson  just 
before  the  bloom  of  the  rose  in 
June  and  left  it  after  the  glory  of 
the  foliage  of  October  had  vanished. 
An  occasional  week  at  Saratoga  and 
Newport  varied  the  monotony  of  their 
country  life.  Their  Summer  home  was 
also  an  attraction  to  many  charming 
and  distinguished  people  both  from 
Europe  and  America.  The  season  just 
passed  had  been  particularly  gay  and 
agreeable,  although  Frank  Livingstone  had  been  fre 
quently  absent  and  noticeably  inclined  to  abstraction 
and  solitude.  All  the  yellow  of  the  hickory  and  the 
chestnut  had  disappeared,  the  brilliant  and  varied  tints 
of  the  maple  were  no  longer  visible,  even  the  mingled 
red  and  green  of  the  oak  had  been  replaced  by  a  dull 
russet-brown,  and  the  magnificence  which  blazes  from 
an  autumnal  American  forest  had  been  exchanged  for 
those  dry  leaves  and  naked  limbs  that  show  nature  to 
be  preparing  for  the  chill  and  gloom  of  Winter.  One 
evening  in  November,  in  the  the  parlor  of  their  city 


102  KINGS   OF  CAPITAL. 

residence,  Frank  and  Edna  were  sitting  together,  when 
the  latter  said,  with  a  bright  laugh, — 

"Brother,  you  seem  to  have  turned  all  the  sober 
Livingstone  heads  in  the  family  in  your  wild  chase 
after  two  unknown  English  ladies  and  an  equally 
unknown  English  gentleman.  Even  mamma  and  I 
have  begun  to  dream  about  them." 

"  Ha !  Edna,"  said  Frank,  startled  into  an  intense 
interest,  "that  is  indeed  strange.  I  hope  that  you 
will  tell  me  me  your  dream." 

"  My  Ivanhoe,  my  Richard  Coeur  de  Lion,  my  Don 
Quixote,  my  flower  of  chivalry  and  sword  of  knight 
hood,  my  brave  hero  of  romance,  engaged  in  the 
deliverance  of  wronged  and  oppressed  beauty — if  you 
will  confess  yourself  in  love  I  will  relate  my  dream. 
Only  the  tender  passion,  with  its  sacred  flame,  could 
inspire  such  exploits  and  adventures." 

"  Nonsense,  Edna,  nonsense.  You  are  taking  advan 
tage  of  my  secret  to  bring  down  my  bachelorhood  to 
the  dust.  You  know  that  a  practical  fellow  like  myself 
could  not  really  fall  in  love  after  a  few  glances  at  a 
pretty  girl." 

"Yet  the  fact  remains,  my  chivalric  brother!  Even 
one  look  may  set  a  heart  on  fire,  and  especially  that 
of  a  self-confident  bachelor.  Did  ever  benevolence 
toward  human  nature  in  general  make  a  young  fellow- 
desert  his  office,  forsake  his  clients,  dream  about  beauty, 
and  chase  its  shadows  over  the  world  ?  You  might  as 
well  tell  me  that  the  unknown  knight  would  have 
entered  the  lists  against  Brian  de  Bois  Gilbert  had  he 


BROTHER    AND    SISTER.  103 

never  seen  the  fair  Rowena.  I  wonder  that  a  young 
lawyer  should  have  less  knowledge  of  human  nature 
than  a  girl  like  myself." 

"Edna,  I  am  not  yet  prepared  to  make  such  a  con 
fession,  whatever  you  may  extort  from  me  hereafter. 
I  admit  that  I  am  acting  like  a  lunatic,  and  giving 
the  lie  to  all  the  actions  and  maxims  of  my  life.  But 
that  I  should  be  in  love,  under  such  circumstances,  is 
an  excess  of  idiocy  I  am  not  ready  to  concede." 

"  Frank,  I  will  make  a  supposition  :  Had  there  been 
three  steerage  passengers,  or  three  ugly,  vulgar  women, 
or  three  rough  men,  wronged,  not  in  imagination,  but 
suffering  before  your  eyes,  would  you  have  interposed 
on  the  spot  for  their  rescue  and  defense  ?  I  fear  your 
benevolence  would  not  have  been  acutely  excited.  It  is 
a  pair  of  bright  eyes  which  lure  you  onward.  You 
are  crazy  after  a  beautiful  face.  At  last,  Frank,  you 
are  in  love ;  yes,  in  love !  The  cynic,  the  bachelor, 
the  philosopher  caught  without  even  a  word ;  brought 
by  a  glance  and  a  smile  to  the  level  of  our  despised 
and  ridiculed  humanity  ! " 

"I  am  a  fair  target  for  your  arrows,  Edna.  Put 
me  up  !  Shoot  at  me  !  Hit  me  in  the  eyes  !  Pierce 
me  through  and  through  with  your  shafts,  but  do  not 
try  to  convict  me  of  love.  I  am  a  fool  on  my  own 
account,  but  not  cupid's  fool.  That  a  fellow  of  my 
age  should  be  bewitched  with  a  pretty  face  and  form, 
without  exchanging  a  sentence,  and  in  ignorance  of 
character,  culture,  history  and  position,  is  not  probable. 
It  is  at  war  with  all '  that  I  am  and  all  that  I  have 


104  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

been,    and     a     species     of     boyish     madness    I    should 
despise  in  myself." 

"  But,  Frank,  look  into  those  wayward  thoughts  of 
yours,  or  rather  into  that  deceitful  heart  !  Do  you  see 
oftenest  there  the  venerable  English  Washington  ?  or 
even  the  more  matured  beauty  ?  Tell  the  truth  !  The 
girl's  face,  the  girl's  lips,  the  girl's  blue  eyes,  the  girl's 
soft  smile  and  graceful  form — these,  these  live  in  your 
memory  and  lead  you  astray.  Be  honest !  You  have 
dreamed  of  the  others  once,  but  you  have  dreamed  of 
her  a  dozen  times.  I  dare  say  you  dreamed  of  her 
last  night.  Ah !  your  color  betrays  you.  Caught  1  my 
cynic,  caught." 

"Edna,  this  has  gone  too  far  and  becomes  unendur 
able,  positively  disagreeable.  If  you  do  not  stop,  I  will 
leave  the  room.  You  have  a  way  of  piercing  a  fel 
low  just  where  he  squirms  most." 

"  Touching  him  in  his  tender  point,  my  errant 
brother !  You  have  v  made  the  admission  I  demanded, 
by  your  threat  to  retire  from  the  scene  of  action. 
Only  the  vanquished  leave  the  field.  Now,  as  victor,  I 
can  fulfill  my  promise  and  relate  my  dream.  Last 
night,  upon  my  bed,  when  my  sleep  was  deep  upon 
me,  I  thought  I  saw  two  beautiful  women  and  an 
aged  man  standing  on  the  side  of  a  ship  in  flames. 
They  were  stretching  out  their  hands  in  a  silent  agony 
of  despair.  Fierce  fires  were  raging  all  around  them. 
Just  as  the  masts  and  sails  were  falling,  a  boat 
appeared  flying  over  the  ocean  to  their  rescue,  impelled 
by  some  invisible  power,  and  steered  by  a  person  1 


BROTHER    AND    SISTER.  105 

had  seen  before.  I  beheld  three  forms  leaping  from 
the  ship  into  the  waves.  The  pilot  stooped  down, 
took  them  out  of  the  water  and  they  were  saved. 
There,  Frank,  my  dream  is  as  mysterious  and  romantic 
as  your  own." 

"Yet,  Edna,  you  are  not  in  love;  you  have  given  an 
answer  to  your  own  arguments ;  you  dream  and  are 
not  in  love.  So  I  have  dreamed  and  may  not  be  in 
love." 

"  Resort  to  syllogisms  is  a  desperate  expedient,  my 
wounded  knight  !  I  dreamed  of  three  persons,  you  last 
night  dreamed  of  one.  Oh,  I  see  again  the  proof  of 
my  suspicions  in  your  cheeks." 

At  this  point  of  their  gay  and  amusing  badinage, 
they  chanced  to  turn  and  perceived  Mrs.  Livingstone, 
who  had  approached  unseen  and  paused  for  a  proper 
place  to  interrupt  their  conversation. 

"I  think,"  she  began,  "that  Frank  has  made  us 
all  crazy  as  himself.  Since  he  told  me  his  story 
about  the  ladies  on  the  Britannia,  I  cannot  drive  them 
from  my  thoughts.  Every  moment  they  are  intruding 
themselves,  and  last  night  I,  usually  dreamless,  had  a 
most  vivid  vision." 

"  You,  mamma,  you  dream "  ;  "they  exclaimed  toge 
ther. 

"Yes,  my  children,"  she  answered  with  a  smile.  "I, 
even  I,  who  sleep  so  soundly,  was  visited  during  the 
night  by  a  wild  and  exciting  dream.  I  seemed  to  be 
walking  near  the  top  of  a  mountain.  Suddenly  it 
burst  into  flames  like  a  volcano.  On  a  lofty  rock, 


106  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

surrounded  by  fire  while  yet  beyond  its  power,  were 
two  women  and  an  old  man.  I  could  not  discern 
their  features  in  the  distance.  They  seemed  to  be  in 
the  utmost  terror,  but  their  voices  could  not  reach  me. 
I  beheld  distinctly  their  frantic  gestures.  Soon  there 
appeared  an  opening  in  the  sky,  and  angels  came 
down  and  bore  them  away,  while  a  crowd  of  demons 
pursued  with  the  utmost  speed  and  malignity." 

"  Wonderful  !  wonderful  !  most  wonderful,  "  said 
Frank  and  Edna  together. 

"  Yes,  I  must  confess,"  continued  Mrs.  Livingstone, 
"much  as  I  have  always  despised  superstition,  this 
dream  has  made  a  profound  impression  on  me,  and  I 
cannot  quite  laugh  at  Frank's  insane  performances.  Jn 
my  opinion,  we  had  better  retire  to  the  study  and  lay 
the  whole  subject  before  your  father." 

Mrs.  Livingstone  led  the  way,  followed  by  her  chil 
dren  who  could  not  but  admire  her  matronly  beauty 
and  dignity,  and  thank  Heaven  for  such  a  union  of 
love  and  wisdom  in  one  who  was  the  light  and  joy  of 
the  household. 

As  the  group  approached,  the  Judge  laid  aside  his 
pen,  removed  his  glasses  and  gave  them  a  smile  of 
welcome.  In  every  respect  he  was  that  typical  Ameri 
can  gentleman  we  all  love  to  remember  for  his  urban 
ity,  his  polish,  his  courtliness  of  manner  and,  above  all, 
sturdiness  of  integrity,  amplitude  of  view,  and  practical 
sense.  And  more  than  any  other  profession,  the  legal 
has  produced  men  of  the  class  described. 

Frank    Livingstone,     at    the    request    of   his    mother, 


BROTHER    AND    SISTER.  107 

narrated  to  the  Judge  what  had  occurred  in  regard  to 
the  unknown  persons  who  had  so  excited  his  interest. 
Nor  did  he  forget  the  dreams  and  their  strange  and 
suggestive  similarities.  When  he  had  concluded,  he 
said  :  , 

"And  now,  sir,  we  wish  your  advice.  I  do  not 
desire  any  longer  to  pursue  phantoms,  and,  knowing 
your  experience  and  wisdom  in  the  affairs  of  life,  I 
will  be  guided  wholly  by  your  opinions." 

The  judge  at  first  smiled,  evidently  amused  at  the 
adventures  of  his  practical  son  and  the  tragic  visions 
of  torrents,  flames  and  billows  which  had  so  strangely 
disturbed  the  other  members  of  his  family.  Soon, 
however,  his  face  assumed  a  graver  aspect.  He 
pulled  his  watch  chain.  He  took  up  and  laid  down 
his  glasses.  His  face  had  a  judicial  expression  and 
looked  as  if  he  was  about  to  decide  an  important  case 
on  the  bench.  When  the  silence  was  becoming 
embarrassing,  he  interrupted  it  by  saying  : 

"  I  confess  that  the  facts  you  relate  are  remarkable, 
and  not  to  be  passed  over  without  reflection.  The 
dreams  are  easily  explained.  No  necessity  arises  for 
supposing  any  preternatural  interposition.  Such  expe 
dients  .  are  weak  and  even  despicable,  and  always 
misleading  where  the  circumstances  are  explicable  on 
the  ordinary  principles  of  our  nature.  Frank  was 
interested  in  the  ladies,  more  especially  the  younger,' 
he  added  with  a  mischievous  look  and  emphasis. 
"  He  dreamed  of  them.  He  told  his  mother  and  sister. 
They  became  interested  and  they  also  dreamed.  This 


108  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

is  all  intelligible.      But  there  are    other    things    in    the 
.  narration  about   which   I   wish  to   inquire." 

We  should  state  that  Frank  Livingstone  included  in 
his  story  many  incidental  facts  which  we  have  not 
recorded  here,  but  which  will  be  understood  ,as  the 
conversation  proceeds. 

"  First,  then,"  said  the  Judge,  "have  you,  my  son, 
taken  into  your  confidence  any  persons  but  your 
mother,  your  sister  and  Villont,  the  private  detective  ?" 

"Not  one  person  beside  these  in  the  world," 
replied  Frank. 

"Did  Villont,"  pursued  the  Judge,  "seem  willing  to 
undertake  the  business  of  finding  these  unknown 
persons  ? " 

"  I  gave  the  old  rascal  one  hundred  dollars  and 
promised  him  five  hundred  more,  if  he  succeeded.  His 
little  cross  eyes  sparkled,  his  yellow  wrinkles  relaxed, 
and  every  spring  in  his  dry  French  carcass  was  set 
in  motion  by  the  money  he  received  and  the  reward 
he  expected.  He'll  be  true  to  my  interests  until  some 
greater  lunatic  promises  him  a  larger  sum." 

"  That  is  not  probable,"  said  the  Judge,  with  a  dry 
laugh,  "as  he  will  not  perhaps  find  your  equal  in 
insanity,  or  benevolence.  I  know  him  well,  and  just 
how  far  we  may  trust  him.  But  Villont,  beyond 
question,  has  taken  several  subordinates  into  this 
service." 

"This,"  Frank  answered,  "would,  of  course,  be 
unavoidable." 

"  And  such  scoundrels,"  said  the  Judge,  "  are  always 


BROTHER    AND    SISTER.  109 

looking  for  a  bribe,  and  either  the  principal  or  his 
agents  may  have  betrayed  your  secret.  You  are  sure 
that  your  telegram  came  from  Villont  ?" 

"  This  is  absolutely  certain." 

"And  you  followed  the  direction  and  went  to 
Chicago?" 

"Yes,   in  the  next  train." 

"  There  you  received  another  telegram  announcing 
that  the  ladies  and  the  gentleman  had  gone  to  St. 
Louis." 

"  Yes,  sir ;  and  when  I  reached  St.  Louis,  an 
unknown  person  gave  me  another  message  from  Villont 
saying  they  had  gone  to  New  Orleans.  Suspecting 
something,  arid  not  wishing  to  be  fooled  farther,  I 
telegraphed  to  New  Orleans  and  waited  in  St.  Louis 
until  I  ascertained  that  no  such  persons  had  arrived 
in  New  Orleans.  I  also  stopped  at  Chicago  a  day  on 
my  return.  After  careful  examination,  not  a  vestige 
of  them  could  be  found  there.  I  then  took  the  first 
train  for  this  city. 

"  The  most  sensible  thing  you  have  done  throughout 
the  entire  transaction,"  rejoined  the  Judge,  laughing, 
while  the  ladies  joined  in  the  merriment. 

Blushing,   Frank  said,   a  little  piqued : 

"Sir,   I  do  not  see  that." 

"  I  will  very  soon  show  you  that  I  had  cause  for 
that  remark.  Did  you  see  Villont  after  your  return  ? J? 

"  I  did,   immediately." 

"How  did  he  behave?" 

"He  seemed  confused;  evaded    my  questions;    acted 


HO  KINGS   OF  CAPITAL. 

like  an  old  treacherous  scoundrel,  and  abandoned  my 
case." 

"That  signifies,"  resumed  the  Judge,  "that  he 
has  sold  his  information  to  others  who  are,  therefore, 
proved  to  be  conspiring  against  these  ladies,  and  who, 
knowing  that  you  are  searching  after  them,  have 
bribed  this  Frenchman  by  his  false  telegrams  to  give 
you  a  false  scent,  and  throw  you  off  their  track. 
Your  mistake  was,  not  to  have  found  Yillont  and  sub 
jected  him  to  a  rigid  cross-examination  before  you  started. 
Having  begun  wrong,  you  continued  wrong  through 
your  chase." 

"  I  see  it  plainly,  sir,  and  confess  my  error.  Your 
more  experienced  sagacity  will  untie  this  knot  and 
bring  some  infernal  scoundrels  to  justice — I  hope  to 
prison." 

"  Yet,  Frank,  while  you  have  certainly  made  these 
mistakes,  the  great  fact  remains  that  there  is  something 
for  us  to  do.  I  am  glad  that  you  have  not  been 
shown  to  be  chasing  phantoms  like  a  silly  schoolboy 
in  love." 

Edna  looked  at  Frank  and  smiled  as  she  saw  him 
redden  into  a  most  guilty  confusion. 

"Now/'  resumed  the  Judge,  "you  say  you  have 
received  four  different  newspapers,  announcing  that  two 
English  ladies,  accompanied  by  a  venerable  old  gentle 
man,  have  left  this  city,  and  proceeded  through  Chicago 
and  St.  Louis  to  New  Orleans  ? " 

"Yes,  sir,  I  have  said  so,  and  I  have  the  papers  in 
my  pocket." 


BROTHER    AND    SISTER.  Ill 

"  Did  you  examine  the  wrappers  for  the  post 
marks  ?" 

"I  regret,   sir,    to  say  that  I  did  not  think   of    it." 

"  Another  mistake,  Frank.  It  would  not  do  to  be 
caught  in  this  way  before  a  jury.  I  begin  to  fear 
that  your  heart  has  confused  your  head,  and  your 
benevolence  toward  mankind  has  urged  you  forward 
too  fast." 

Another  burst  of  merriment  from  the  ladies !  The 
Judge  shared  the  amusement  when  he  perceived  the 
embarrassment  of  his  son. 

"  I  will  enjoy  the  joke  with  you,  sir,"  said  Frank, 
"  since  your  judicious  wisdom  is  disentangling  this 
skein  and  conducting  us  to  the  truth.  Fortunately,  I 
opened  the  papers  in  your  study,  and  threw  their 
wrappers  into  your  waste-basket." 

Saying  this  he  stooped,  picked  up  the  crumpled 
envelopes,  and  examining  them  carefully,  exclaimed : 

"  They  were  all  mailed  in  this  city,  sir." 

"  That  helps  us  amazingly,"  said  the  Judge.  "  I 
believe  the  conspirators  to  be  in  this  city.  In  this 
city,  too,  are  the  persons  we  are  to  seek.  Our  work 
is,  therefore,  in  this  city,  and  you  will  find  that 
Villont  holds  the  clew  to  the  mystery.  The  rascal  has 
sold  your  confidence  to  a  higher  bidder." 

Light  broke  upon  the  mind  of  Frank  Livingstone. 
So  far  he  had  gone  forward  in  the  darkness.  He  had 
no  guide  through  the  maze.  Often  he  was  blaming 
himself  as  the  dupe  of  his  fancies  and  his  dreams. 
He  could  not  justify  his  conduct,  and  yet  could  not 


112  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

abandon  his  course.  Henceforward  he  was  to  have 
the  sympathy  of  his  mother  and  sister,  and,  more  than 
all,  aid  from  the  keen  sagacity  and  practical  wisdom 
of  his  father,  so  long  trained  on  the  Bar  and  on  the 
Bench  in  that  healthful  common  sense  for  which  lawyers, 
above  all  men,  are  distinguished.  A  midnight  was 
dispelled  from  Frank.  His  face  beamed  with  joy,  hope 
and  encouragement,  and  through  his  whole  expression 
and  bearing  shone  that  quiet  assurance  which  was  the 
token  of  victory. 

Nor  was  the  Judge  himself  without  relief.  He 
had  noticed  for  months  the  change  in  his  son,  but 
had  thought  it  wiser  not  to  solicit  a  confidence  which 
he  was  sure  in  the  end  would  be  given.  When  at 
last  it  came,  he  was  startled  without  betraying  his 
surprise.  As  all  the  facts  of  the  case  came  gradually 
before  him,  he  was  glad  to  know  that  his  son  had  not 
been  in  a  senseless  chase  of  the  mere  shadows  of  his 
fancy  or  dreams  from  his  heart.  Mrs.  Livingstone 
and  Edna  shared  the  feelings  of  the  Judge,  and  possi 
bly  in  them  all  had  mingled  something  of  the  family 
pride.  Thus  all  the  members  of  a  household,  remark 
able  alike  for  sense,  culture  and  calmness,  found 
themselves  aroused  into  a  mystery  of  overpowering 
interest  in  three  strangers,  whose  names,  even,  were 
not  known  to  them,  and  who  had  been  casually  seen 
by  one  of  their  number  on  a  steamship.  More  than 
once  in  the  history  of  our  humanity  has  Heaven,  by 
such  a  secret  spell  and  irresistible  power,  moved  to 
deeds  of  disinterested  charity.  Happy  are  the  just 


BROTHER    AND    SISTER. 


113 


and    innocent    selected    as    instruments    of    blessing    in 
our  dark  and  suffering  and  guilty  world! 


CHAPTER  VII. 

RAILWAY    CONFERENCE. 

T    was    a    day    of    mists    and    occa 
sional  showery  rains.       The  clouds 
hung  low  and  lowering,   and  while 
motionless  near  the  earth,  through 
huge    rifts    were    visible    immense 
black      masses       driving      onward 
through    the    lofty    air,     with    a    wild    and 
immeasurable  fury.     The  city  was  saturated. 
Houses    dripped,   horses    dripped,    cars,    cabs 
and    omnibuses    dripped,    umbrellas    dripped, 
men  and  women  and   children  dripped,   and 
nature    herself     seemed    in     one     state     of 
*  universal    drip.      Then    came    down    on    the 

world    that    gloom  of    soul  produced   by  the  misty  and 
moistening  air  in  this  state  of  everlasting  dripping. 

Risk  and  Planning  sat  in  a  dark  room  of  the  INTER 
OCEANIC  RAILWAY  Depot.  They  seemed  under  the 
influence  of  the  air  and  sky  without  them.  A  shadow 
was  on  their  faces,  indicating  discouragement  ;  their 
hats  were  drawn  over  their  brows ;  their  voices  sank 
down  into  low,  deep  tones,  indeed,  at  times,  even  into 
whispers,  with  occasional  pauses  between  their  com 
munications  to  each  other.  Everything  about  them 
gave  token  of  anxious  dejection. 


RAILWAY    CONFERENCE.  117 

After  a  brief  interval  of  silence,  Planning  burst  out 
into  a  louder  tone. 

"  Lyman,   you  see  sharp,   but  you  don't  see  far." 

"What  do  you  mean,  Coolie?"  inquired  Risk,  with 
manifest  displeasure. 

"Mean!  I  mean  what  I  say.  Your  headlight  is 
bright  enough  close  by,  but  don't  shine  far  enough 
along  the  track,  and  I  am  afraid  the  INTER  OCEANIC 
will  smash  up  before  we  know  it  and  carry  us  down 
in  the  wreck." 

"I  don't  like  this,  Coolie,"  said  Risk,  with  a  rising 
tempest  of  indignation.  "I  don't  like  it,  and  I  won't 
stand  it.  You  must  explain  yourself." 

"Well,  to  be  plain,  you  ought  to  have  told  me 
what  took  you  to  Boston.  You  followed  your  telegram 
in  the  Victoria  palace-car  like  a  boy  after  a  butterfly  or 
a  soap-bubble,  and  since  these  English  women  came 
here,  under  your  benevolent  escort,  everything  has  gone 
against  us." 

"Planning,"  rejoined  Risk,  pale,  quivering  and 
flushing  with  anger ;  touched  in  that  sensitiveness  to 
precedence  often  felt  by  a  superior  to  a  subordinate 
excelling  him  in  will  and  intellect.  "  Planning,  this 
is  an  insult.  I  don't  know  that  the  President  of  the 
INTER  OCEANIC  RAILWAY  is  compelled  always  to  make 
a  confident  of  his  Vice-President." 

"Don't  be  offended,  Lyman,"  responded  Planning, 
soothingly.  "I  did  not  intend  to  wound  you.  This 
is  no  time  for  quarrels  among  us.  We  are  in  great 
peril.  I  cannot  help  thinking  you  made  a  mistake  in 


118  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

bringing  these  English  women  here.  Only  misfortune 
came  with  you  in  that  train." 

Lyman  Kisk  was  instantly  calmed  into  gentleness 
by  the  tones  and  words  of  his  confederate. 

"Oh,  Coolie,"  he  exclaimed,  "is  that  all?  Tell  me, 
old  boy,  what  we  made  out  of  their  INTER  OCEANIC 
shares?" 

"  Two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand." 

"  And  what  did  we  realize  from  their  rings,  chains, 
pins,  necklaces  and  trumpery  in  general — from  rubies, 
topazes,  garnets,  emeralds,  diamonds,  and  such  valueless 
stones,  and  then  from  silver  and  gold,  and  stocks  high 
and  low,  too  numerous  to  mention  ?  Tell  me,  Coolie, 
tell  me  that,  and  then  blame  me,  if  you  dare  ! " 

"  One  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  more,  I  confess, " 
replied  Planning,  with  his  usual  coolness.  "But  that 
don't  change  my  opinion." 

"And  did  you  ever  notice,"  inquired  Risk,  with  a 
sparkle  in  his  black  eye,  "that  whaling  diamond  on 
her  white  fingers  ?  It  flashes  like  a  young  sun.  She 
told  Slykes  that  her  husband  got  it  in  the  flames  of 
Delhi,  and  that  it  was  once  worn  in  the  crowns  of 
Indian  kings.  We'll  have  it,  old  fellow ;  we'll  have 
it,  and  it  will  make  the  gains  of  that  Boston  pleasure 
trip  mount  up  to  a  round  half  million  for  the  INTER 
OCEANIC.  This  money  has  helped  us  through  the 
tightest  squeeze  we  ever  knew  and  saved  us  from 
certain  ruin." 

"I  don't  know  that,  Lyman.  The  dollars  have 
disappeared  like  fishes  in  a  whale's  maw,  which  is  just 


RAILWAY    CONFERENCE.  119 

as  hungry  as  ever,  and  now  we  have  to  meet  the 
danger  of  the  whole  thing." 

"You  seem  jealous  of  me,  Coolie,  and  instead  of 
blaming  me,  you  should  thank  me  for  my  brains  and 
pluck." 

"But  I  tell  you  there's  danger  ahead.  My  head 
light  shows  me  trouble  on  the  track.  When  the 
decision  of  old  Justice  at  Albany  is  announced,  con 
fiscating  property  for  the  addition  to  our  Grand  Depot, 
the  Livingstones,  the  Pilkilsons  and  all  the  owners 
will  be  after  us  like  a  pack  of  wolves,  bears,  hyenas 
and  tigers.  Barks,  growls  and  yells  will  fill  this 
country.  We  may  yet  regret  our  prices  to  legislators, 
lawyers  and  judges  for  this  confiscation  act.  .The 
danger  was  enormous  before,  and  now  I  fear  these 
women  will  bring  all  England  down  on  us.  There 
never  was  such  a  tempest  gathering  over  us  as  at  this 
moment." 

"What  do  you  mean,  Planning,  by  all  this  stuff? 
I  do  not  understand  what  you  are  driving  after.  You 
seem  to  me  like  a  locomotive  screaming  in  a  misty 
night." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Planning,  "  screaming,  because  the 
bridges  are  down  and  the  embankments  tumbling,  and 
danger  everywhere.  I  repeat  what  I  said  at  first. 
You  see  sharp,  but  you  don't  see  far.  Do  you  think 
that  the  Lord  of  the  Arlington  Estate  can  disappear 
from  the  world  without  inquiry  from  friends  and 
relatives  ?  Can  two  beautiful  .  women  be  lost  in 
America,  and  no  search  be  made  after  them  ?  Will 


120  KINGS   OF  CAPITAL. 

not  the  Government  itself  interfere  and  set  in  motion 
all  the  detective  forces  at  home  and  abroad  ?  Do  you 
believe  you  can  carry  on  this  system  of  plunder  and 
not  be  called  to  account  for  it  ?  That  would  be  un 
natural  and  impossible.  Even  now  the  Livingstones 
are  after  us  like  bloodhounds,  and  if  we  do  not  get 
them  off  our  track,  will  soon  be  at  our  heels.  Ad 
vertisements  before  long  will  be  blazing  in  the  news 
papers,  rewards  will  be  offered,  and  the  whole  world 
will  be  in  chase,  and,  I  am  afraid,  not  affectionately, 
about  our  throats.  You  have  never  thought  of  this, 
Lyman  Kisk." 

But  he  saw  it  now — saw  it  with  a  vision  clear  as  light — 
saw  it  in  characters  of  fire  staring  over  him  in  mocking 
ruin.  Every  nerve  in  him  trembled.  He  seemed 
ready  to  drop  from  his  seat  and  sink  through  the 
floor.  His  eyes  had  the  look  and  light  of  blood  as 
he  gasped  rather  than  spoke  : 

"What  in  the  name  of  Heaven  shall  we  do?  It 
seems  to  me  black  as  midnight.  My  dreams  this 
week  have  been  full  of  horrors." 

"Nonsense,  Lyman,"  said  'Planning,  laughing. 
"  Your  mercury  flies  too  quick  from  freezing  to  boiling 
point.  Brave  it  out.  Don't  be  a  fool.  We  must 
meet  the  danger  like  men.  Fight  it  out.  old  fellow, 
fight  it  out.  Whistle  up  your  courage  and  say,  '  Come 
on,  grave  clothes/  as  the  boy  said  to  the  ghost  when 
his  knees  shook  and  his  teeth  chattered." 

Risk,  under  the  influence  of  a  superior  mind  and 
will,  instantly  aroused  himself.  The  transformation 


RAILWAY    CONFERENCE.  121 

was  wonderful.  Oh,  what  a  subtle  mystery  is  this 
spell  which  men  weave  around  each  other !  A  word 
has  changed  a  coward  into  a  hero.  A  look  has 
inspired  armies  and  saved  empires.  A  magic  tone  has 
moulded  human  souls,  and  shaped  destinies  that  are 
everlasting. 

Lyman  Risk  stood  forth  another  man.  You  would 
have  supposed  him  a  trained  soldier  equal  to  any 
emergency.  Pointing  to  a  package  of  letters  on  the 
table,  and  drawing  up  his  form  to  its  full  and  com 
manding  height,  he  said,  with  a  ringing  voice  of 
triumph  : 

"  There,  Coolie,  there  ;  see  those  letters  ;  money's  in 
them ;  I  tell  you  money's  in  them.  They'll  bring  us 
all  through,  as  a  good  engine  drives  a  steamship  in 
spite  of  wind  and  wave.  The  letters  ;  yes  ;  the  letters ! 
They've  cost  Lyman  Risk  many  a  night's  hard  thinking 
and  have  been  got  through  many  a  danger.  But  he 
has  them.  Deliverance  is  in  them  for  us  all,  and  the 
INTER  OCEANIC  RAILWAY  into  the  bargain,  Read  them! 
You'll  find  Lord  Clare's  dead ;  Mrs.  Neville  is  next 
heir  to  the  estate,  and  if  Lyman  Risk  wins  her,  he'll 
be  Lord  Arlington,  and  in  the  British  Parliament,  if 
money  buys  Peers  as  it  buys  our  virtuous  law-tinkers. " 

J.  Coolie  Planning  shook  his  head.  His  vision  was 
not  to  be  thus  confused.  Indeed,  he  read  the  situation 
with  an  almost  prophetic  glance. 

"Worse  than  ever,  Lyman  Risk,"  he  exclaimed,  in 
a  most  emphatic  tone.  "  The  motive  now  will  be 
a  hundred  fold  stronger  to  find  Lord  Arlington  and  these 


122  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

ladies ;  and  piiblic  attention  will  be  directed  towards 
them  by  an  increased  force.  The  letters  may  prove  a 
bomb-shell  to  explode  us  all  to  fragments.  Tear  them 
into  pieces  ;  scatter  them  to  the  winds  ;  give  them  to 
the  flames.  Anything  and  everything  to  get  them 
out  of  the  world.  Even  then  the  peril  is  great,  for 
that  old  traitor,  Villont,  may  have  taken  copies  which 
will  blow  our  fortifications  flying  through  the  air." 

Risk  arose  in  a  demoniacal  rage.  His  eye  shot 
out  the  fires  of  frenzy.  A  white  foam  was  on  his 
lips.  He  brought  his  hand  down  on  the  table  and 
roared  in  the  fury  of  his  volcanic  passion  : 

"  Never,  Coolie  ;  by  Heaven,  never  !  They  cost  me 
too  much.  You  shall  have  my  blood  first." 

In  such  an  earthquake  of  anger,  Planning  perceived 
that  it  would  be  vain  to  reason  with  his  confederate. 
He  realized  the  enormous  risk  of  the  letters,  but  also 
knew  that  the  infuriated  President  was  wholly  beyond 
his  powers  of  persuasion.  What  would  he  not  have 
given  to  have  converted  into  smoke  and  ashes  that 
little  pile  of  destiny  !  Those  innocent  letters ;  what  is 
in  them  ?  Money,  and  honor,  and  power,  and  success ; 
or  defeat,  disaster,  disgrace,  perchance  a  prison-cell,  a 
prison  jacket,  and  a  prison  gloom,  down  to  a  prison 
grave !  Who  can  tell  ?  A  spark  would  destroy  the 
whole  peril.  One  click  of  a  match ;  a  little  burst  of 
flame ;  one  touch  of  fire,  and  then  a  brilliant  blaze  of 
the  ignited  papers.  But  Risk's  rage  was  in  the  way. 
Passionate  folly  was  stronger  than  passionless  prudence; 
not  a  spark  would  be  applied. 


RAILWAY    CONFERENCE.  123 

Looking  at  the  letters  and  then  at  Risk,  Planning 
said  slowly  : 

"  Where  will  you  keep  that  powder-keg,  Lyman  ? 
I  fear  it.  Hide  it  in  some  place  where  fire  cannot 
reach  it.  It  will  explode  yet,  I  tell  you,  and  blow 
us  into  the  sky." 

Risk  replied  with   a  look  of  intense  satisfaction  : 

"  Coolie,  don't  be  frightened  !  I'll  keep  this  package 
all  right.  It  is  to  be  in  the  deepest  part  of  our  INTER 
OCEANIC  safe,  and  no  man  besides  myself  and  our 
confidential  clerk,  John  O'Brien,  has  the  keys  and 
the  combination." 

Planning  looked  anxious.  He  saw  here  more  danger 
and  inquired  nervously  : 

"Do  you  think  you  should  trust  John  O'Brien  with 
the  keys  and  the  combinations  ?  I  would  trust  no 
man  living." 

"You  find  fault,"  replied  Risk,  peevishly,  "with  all 
I  do,  and  because  I  do  it.  O'Brien  is  true  as  a 
steel-rail,  and  has  been  in  our  employ  for  years." 

"  It  may  not  do,  then,"  Planning  replied,  musingly, 
"  to  show  a  lack  of  confidence  by  removing  him ;  but 
bring  him  down  on  his  knees  !  Put  a  pistol  to  each 
ear !  Swear  him  by  all  the  saints  and  angels  in  his 
popish  calendar !  After  all,  a  few  dollars  may  buy 
him  and  prove  our  ruin." 

"I'll  see  to  that,"  said  Risk,  taking  up  the  package 
and  placing  it  carefully  in  the  bosom  pocket  of  his 
coat.  "Lyman  Risk  can  attend  to  his  own  business 
and  ask  no  man's  advice." 


124  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

Planning  now  resumed  abruptly,  without  noticing 
the  fling  of  his  confederate  : 

"  I  believe  you  were  all  wrong  in  getting  into  this 
trouble.  But  now,  there's  only  one  way  out.  It  is  a 
bold  move,  and  a  coward  never  wins.  You  must 
marry  this  widow  !  That  may  save  us  !  It  will  give 
you  a  title  to  her  person  if  not  her  estate,  and  indi 
rectly,  wealth  and  influence  to  stand  around  us  and 
protect  from  the  storm  like  a  wall  of  defense." 

"  That's  just  what  I  brought  you  here  to  talk 
about,"  said  Risk,  with  manifest  pleasure,  "when  you 
shot  off  like  a  lightning  train  on  another  subject.  I 
am  in  love  with  the  widow  and  don't  know  how  to 
win  her." 

At  this  unexpected  communication,  Planning  laughed 
until  the  glass  seemed  to  rattle  in  the  windows. 

"Lyman  Risk  in  love!  What  will  Jane  Slag  say? 
Will  Olive  Neilson  give  consent  ?  The  Woman's 
Rights  will  have  a  word  on  that  question,  and  the 
Independent  Theatre  will  be  all  thunder  and  lightning. 
Trouble  all  round  us,  Lyman  !  But  go  on ;  it  is  our 
only  chance  !  In  love  !  an  old  roue  like  you  in 
love  !  Tell  it  to  the  wild  cats,  Lyman;  if  they  don't 
believe  it,  tell  it  to  a  lunatic  asylum." 

"  You  may  laugh  as  you  please,  Coolie ;  but  it  is 
nevertheless  a  fact.  Even  while  necessity  drives  me 
to  spoil  this  woman,  I  adore  her  as  if  she  were  a  god 
dess,  and  rob  her  with  the  resolution,  by  my  marriage, 
to  repair  her  losses  and  spend  my  life  in  making  her 
happy.  The  greatest  pleasure  I  ever  knew  is  to  be 


RAILWAY    CONFERENCE.  125 

near  her  and  to  look  into  her  face.  But  I  have  not 
learned  how  to  gain  her  and  feel  baffled  and  confused 
at  every  approach.  I  want  your  advice,  and,  indeed, 
for  this  appointed  our  interview. 

"  Well,  my  friend,"  said  Planning  thoughtfully, 
"talk  little  and  act  kindly." 

"But  explain  to  me  why  you  give  such  strange 
advice,"  Risk  answered,  with  a  look  of  bewildering 
uncertainty. 

"  As  our  interests  are  so  vast  and  so  united,  I  will 
be  entirely  frank.  Between  educated  and  uneducated 
minds  is  a  chasm  nearly  impassable.  Something  in  tone 
and  manner  indicates  the  mysterious  and  indefinable 
difference.  Now,  Risk,  I  must  be  plain  with  you. 
Your  talk  sometimes  betrays  you.  These  women  are 
from  the  highest  circles  of  English  refinement,  and  will 
notice  in  you  ways  and  words  hidden  from  yourself. 
Remember,  too,  the  enormous  descent  from  station  and 
wealth  to  poverty  and  dependence,  and  the  suspicions 
she  will  sometimes  inevitably  entertain.  Your  difficul 
ties  are  stupendous,  but  not  insuperable.  Be  attentive 
to  the  old  Earl ;  please  the  girl  by  every  delicate  kind 
ness  ;  talk  with  the  widow  seldom  and  in  the  softest 
tones;  let  your  presents  be  few,  but  thoughtful 
and  costly;  possibly,  in  the  end,  you  may  allay  her 
prejudices,  and,  when  you  have  brought  her  down 
to  the  last  extremity,  she  may  consent  to  be  your 
wife." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
LORD  ARLINGTON'S  DEATH. 


VEN  before  the  conversation  just 
related,  Risk  had  instinctively  shaped 
his  course  toward  Mrs.  Neville  ac 
cording  to  this  shrewd  advice  of 
Planning.  During  her  removal  to 
her  new  dwelling  in  a  more  obscure 
street,  and  among  coarse  and  vulgar  people, 
he  had  been  constant  in  his  attentions. 
He  had  shown  great  tact  and  delicacy,  not 
only  in  his  assistances,  but  also  in  many 
soothing  and  gentle  sympathies.  Indeed, 
there  was  in  his  nature  much  latent  benevo 
lence,  and  had  education  and  religion  controlled  his 
passions,  he  would  have  been  a  noble  man.  He  had 
also  been  tender  and  judicious  in  his  manner  toward 
Lucy,  and  invaluable  in  superintending  the  transfer  of 
the  helpless  Earl  of  Arlington  to  his  apartment  in  the 
new  abode.  In  a  thousand  nice  and  acceptable  ways 
he  had  promoted  the  comfort  of  the  household,  paying 
many  bills  and  persistently  refusing  the  money  when 
offered.  Thus  insensibly  he  had  wound  himself  into 
the  confidence  of  the  family,  and  made  himself  useful, 
and  almost  indispensable.  It  was  not  strange,  therefore, 


LORD  ARLINGTON'S  DEATH.  127 

that  he  •  should  be  seen  by  them,  softened  in  the  light 
with  which  he  was  invested  by  so  many  acts  of 
sympathetic  kindness.  The  heart  often  creates  the 
medium  through  which  the  head  sees  facts  and  forms 
conclusions,  as  the  earth  from  her  bosom  gives  forth 
the  mists  which  envelop  her  in  the  golden  glory  of 
the  morning.  Yet,  such  are  the  contrarieties  of  our 
nature,  that  this  very  man,  who  was  strewing  a  path 
way  of  sorrow  with  so  many 'flowers,  was  at  the  same 
time  planting  along  it  sharp  thorns  to  lacerate,  most 
cruelly,  pure  and  trusting  hearts. 

Risk  had  suggested  the  employment  of  Midgetto, 
who,  while  hastening  the  dark  ruin,  had  been  also  a 
ray  of  light  in  the  household.  He  was,  indeed,  an 
almost  speechless  little  beauty.  While  diminutive  in 
size,  his  form  was  exquisitely  moulded,  his  features 
delicately  Roman,  and  his  immense  liquid  black  eyes 
shone  over  a  complexion  where  the  bloom  of  the  rose 
mingled  with  the  brown  of  the  olive.  You  could 
scarcely  help  thinking  of  him  as  a  wingless  angel 
from  the  canvas  of  Raphael.  In  America,  he  was  an 
evident  exotic.  He  should  be  in  Rome,  and  under  an 
Italian  sky.  Midge,  as  he  was  now  familiarly  called, 
under  the  terrible  discipline  of  Villont,  had  been  edu 
cated  into  silence,  control  and  submission.  A  word 
scarcely  ever  escaped  from  his  lips.  He  was  a  beau 
tiful  pantomime  of  grace  and  sympathy.  In  his  per 
son  he  had  inherited  all  the  charms  of  his  aristocratic 
Italian  mother,  unmingled  with  a  single  trace  from 
the  deformed  and  repulsi^-e  Villont.  Moreover,  the 


128  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

genius  of  his  maternal  blood  had  bloomed  out  into 
artistic  tastes.  He  loved  to  sketch  with  pen  and 
pencil,  and  reveled  in  form  and  color.  Both  Mrs. 
Neville  and  Lucy  had  spent  many  hours  of  quiet  joy 
in  giving  him  instruction,  and  he  showed  all  the 
creative  instincts  of  the  artist.  Everything  lovely  in 
him  was  thus  nurtured,  and  he  grew  daily  in  beauty 
and  intelligence.  While  the  unconscious  and  innocent 
boy  was  conveying  the  letters  of  the  family  to  the  den 
of  Villont,  he  as  little  knew  the  ruin  he  was  working 
as  coral  insects,  building  from  their  branching  white 
ness  a  tropical  island  in  the  deep  ocean,  are  aware  of 
the  tempests  and  the  billows  far  above  their  own 
peaceful  domain. 

The  affairs  of  the  new  dwelling  in  a  few  days 
moved  forward  with  entire  regularity.  But  life's 
demands  are  inexorable.  Our  perishable  flesh  must  be 
fed  or  die.  The  household  of  the  Nevilles  resembled 
an  island  crumbling  incessantly  before  the  hoarse  and 
hungry  waves.  The  bills  were  increasing,  and  the 
deposit  in  the  bank  was  diminishing.  Addition  and 
substraction  were  united  in  the  ruin.  The  rattle  of  a 
grocer's  cart,  suggesting  expense,  shook  the  nerves  of 
Mrs.  Neville,  and  an  account  from  shop  or  store  made 
her  shiver  with  a  chill  of  approaching  destitution.  An 
enormous  expenditure  was  necessary  for  the  Earl  alone, 
who  required  the  care  of  a  nurse  and  the  skill  of  a 
physician. 

O  Poverty,  how  fearful  thy  face !  How  cold  thy 
remorseless  eye !  How  pitiless  thy  look  !  Thy  breast 


LORD  ARLINGTON'S  DEATH.  129 

is  brass,  and  thy  heart  is  iron,  and  around  thy  gaunt 
form  is  the  iceberg's  winter  1  More  than  death,  thou 
art  the  dread  of  our  humanity !  Not  only  dost  thou 
blight  bodies  to  the  grave,  but  wither  hearts,  kill 
hopes,  blast  love,  dwarf  genius,  darken  homes  and 
brutalize  millions,  casting  thy  shadow  over  this  world, 
and  beyond  it  the  mystery  of  an  everlasting  darkness. 

Before  thy  spell,  these  fair  women  and  this  frail  old 
man  were  suffering  agonies  unutterable.  A  trial  pecu 
liarly  sharp  was  creeping  like  a  shadow  towards  Mrs. 
Neville.  Day  by  day  she  marked  its  dark  approach. 
She  was  moving  steadily  toward  the  inexorable  time 
when  poverty  would  tear  from  her  finger  the  diamond 
placed  there  by  the  affection  of  her  Oscar,  and  the 
sparkle  of  whose  light  of  love  was  to  vanish  from  her 
eye,  most  probably,  forever. 

The  day,  the  hour,  the  moment  came !  Often  she 
rivetted  on  the  brilliant  a  glassy  stare.  Sometimes  her 
eyes  darted  flames.  Again,  she  had  a  dreamy  and 
distracted  look,  followed  by  tears.  Her  bosom  would 
swell  and  palpitate  with  its  agony.  Oh,  how  the  image 
of  her  Oscar  rose  before  her  soul  !  She  saw  him  as 
he  brought  to  her  the  splendid  gem,  told  her  its  thrill 
ing  history,  expressed  to  her  his  love  and  admiration, 
then  bent  his  knees  and  placed  it  on  her  finger,  kissed 
her  and  embraced  her,  and  thrilled  her  with  that  exquisite 
joy  which  only  the  tenderness  of  affection  can  excite  in 
a  human  bosom.  She  could  almost  feel  again  the 
warm  imprint  of  his  lips,  and  hear  the  tones  of  his 
manly  voice, 


130  KINGS   OF  CAPITAL. 

Shall  she  herself  remove  her  Oscar's  gift  from  her 
finger  ?  Shall  she  sell  the  token  to  strangers  ?  Shall  she 
prostitute  this  most  sacred  emblem  of  a  mutual  love  ? 
Shall  she  devote  it  to  meet  life's  lowest  wants  ?  Shall  it 
pass  to  vulgar  hands,  be  seen  by  vulgar  eyes,  possibly 
sparkle  on  some  vulgar  brow  ?  Shall  it  be  divested  of 
every  tender  association,  and  be  henceforth  in  memory 
a  thing  hideous  and  loathsome,  and  to  be  torn,  if  pos 
sible,  out  from  the  history  of  her  life  ?  Again  and 
again  she  pulled  it  to  the  tip  of  her  finger.  As  often 
she  thrust  it  back  with  impetuous  violence.  The  task 
seemed  impossible.  Once  she  fell*  prostrate  on  the  floor 
and  remained  insensible  for  hours.  Her  heart  was 
breaking.  The  removal  of  her  ring  involved  in  it  the 
agony  of  a  farewell  to  the  rank  and  wealth  and  bright 
ness  of  her  beautiful  past. 

But  the  needs  of  her  condition  were  too  strong  for 
Mrs.  Neville.  The  gleams  of  her  diamond  could  not 
feed  the  flame  of  her  life.  The  magnificent  jewel  is  at 
last  removed.  Not  a  gem  is  left  on  her  hand.  Every 
vision  of  joy  has  grown  dark  in  her  soul. 

She  sent  the    priceless    ring    in    a    note  by  Midge  to 
Risk. 

Even  in  his  breast  it  awoke  a  pang.  He  longed 
to  restore  it  to  its  place.  But  with  him  the  necessi 
ties  were  as  cold  and  as  dark  and  as  terrible  as  with 
her.  Dollars  alone  could  keep  from  staring  ruin  the 
voracious  INTER  OCEANIC  monster.  Risk  regrets,  but 
he  will  have  to  sell.  He,  too,  may  postpone  the  evil 
day.  It  will  come,  unless  a  worse  arrives  first  to  stop 


LORD  ARLINGTON'S  DEATH.  131 

his  hand.  He  deposits  the  jewel  in  his  safe,  pretends 
its  sale,  and  places  a  few  paltry  thousands  to  the 
credit  of  Mrs.  Emily  Neville,  representing  on  the  books 
of  an  American  bank  her  whole  earthly  hope  in  a 
land  of  strangers,  where  villains  are  plotting  her 
destruction. 

After  these  exhausting  struggles,  Mrs.  Neville  was 
lying  on  her  bed  in  comparative  calmness.  The  agony 
was  over,  and  nature  demanded  relief.  Her  father 
was  below  in  his  usual  place.  After  the  fearful  and 
unexpected  death  of  Colonel  Neville,  the  Earl  on  the 
vessel  had  been  partially  paralyzed.  His  motionless 
limbs  ceased  to  be  under  the  control  of  his  will,  and, 
indeed,  volition  itself  was  suspended.  Since  that  time 
his  eyes  had  not  been  once  opened,  and  had  it  not 
been  for  his  low  breathing,  the  slight  heaving  of  his 
chest,  and  an  occasional  twitching  of  his  lip  and 
cheek,  he  might  have  been  considered  a  statue,  or  a 
corpse.  In  this  condition  he  had  been  conveyed  from 
the  vessel,  and  then  in  the  car,  and  thence  to  the 
former  dwelling,  and  afterwards  to  the  present  home. 

What  a  spectacle  of  ruin !  The  strong  man  living 
while  dead.  Those  active,  powerful  limbs  weaker  than 
infancy.  That  mighty  and  manly  frame,  one  breathing 
mass  of  impotence.  In  the  eye  no  flash,  and  in  the 
face  no  fire.  Only  a  lingering  glory  around  the 
expansive  and  venerable  brow.  And  the  soul— the 
poor,  wandering,  uncertain  soul,  in  its  dubious  intelli 
gence  and  fearful  imbecility !  The  pride  of  our 
humanity  brought  lower  than  by  the  grave. 


132  KINGS   OF  CAPITAL. 

While  in  a  light  slumber,  Mrs.  Neville  thought  she 
heard  a  voice.  Is  it  a  dream  ?  Her  name  is  re 
peated.  She  hears,  although  not  fully  awake,  again 
and  again— "  Emily,  Emily,  Emily!"  Now,-  the  tone 
grows  louder:  "  Emily  !"  There  can  be  no  room  for 
doubt.  She  springs  from  her  bed  in  terror  and  amaze 
ment.  It  is  the  voice  of  her  father,  clear  and  strong 
as  it  ever  rang  through  the  halls  and  across  the 
piazzas  and  over  the  lawns  of  Arlington  Castle.  She 
was  stunned  and  staggered  by  what  seemed  a  sum 
mons  from  the  grave.  A  resurrection  of  the  Earl 
from  his  sepulchre  could  not  have  more  surprised  and 
startled  her.  She  flew  down  the  stairs  and  to  his 
room.  There  he  sat  in  all  the  strength  and  majesty 
of  his  grandest  day.  He  had  thrown  a  splendid 
Afghan,  almost  the  only  memento  from  the  castle, 
around  his  shoulders.  His  face  indicated  perfect  com 
posure,  and  all  the  faculties  of  his  mind  and  his  body 
were,  for  the  moment,  restored.  Mrs.  Neville  rushed 
toward  him,  and  flung  herself  frantically  on  his 
breast,  pouring  forth  an  agony  of  tears.  The  foun 
tains  of  a  human  soul  were  broken  up,  and  those 
streaming  floods  subdued  the  volcanic  fires  which  would 
have  hardened  it  forever  into  the  granite  of  despair. 
She  wept  and  wept  and  wept,  and  found  relief  on  the 
breast  of  a  father  whose  dying  lips  kissed  away  her 
tears.  No  infant  on  the  bosom  of  a  mother  ever  ex 
perienced  a  more  soothing  comfort.  "  Emily,"  began 
the  Earl,  in  a  low  tone  of  intense  paternal  affection, 
"  Heaven,  for  a  few  moments,  has  restored  my  strength 


LORD  ARLINGTON'S  DEATH.  133 

that  I  may  support  you  in  your  suffering,  and  give  you 
the  sympathy  of  a  father." 

"Oh,  papa,  papa,"  she  burst  forth  in  her  overflow 
ing  anguish,  "my  heart  is  breaking,  breaking,  break 
ing." 

"I  know  the  cause,"  said  the  Earl.  "No  time 
need  be  spent  in  explanations.  While  lying  here  with 
closed  eyes  and  seemingly  insensible,  my  mind  has 
been  always  on  the  wing.  I  have  heard  your  con 
versations,  and  become  acquainted  with  the  trials  of 
your  situation.  I  comprehend  your  sorrows  from  my 
own." 

"Oh,  can  this  be  true  ?"  she  cried  out  with  increased 
emotion.  "  Oh,  that  I  could  have  known  it !  I  might 
have  then  poured  my  griefs  into  your  ear." 

"  No,"  replied  the  Earl,  "this  could  not  have  been. 
I  could  have  made  no  response,  and  would  have  been 
oppressed  with  the  feeling  of  my  imbecility.  My 
peace  would  have  been  disturbed,  and  my  bright  visions 
clouded.  This  is  the  hour  for  an  interview  predestined 
by  Heaven." 

"Why,  oh,  why,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Neville,  "have  we 
been  afflicted  by  the  vengeance  of  some  remorseless 
power  who  sports  with  our  sufferings  ! " 

"  Hush,  hush,  my  daughter,"  said  the  Earl,  tenderly 
and  solemnly,  but  reprovingly.  "All  is  ordered  in 
eternal  light  and  love,  and  in  a  way  far  above  our 
poor  earthly  wisdom.  Was  I  an  arrogant  man, 
Emily?" 

Mrs.   Neville  was  astonished  at  such  a  question  from 


KIXGS  OF  CAPITAL. 

a  father  who  had  in  his  family  been  signally  esteemed 
for  his  modesty,  his  urbanity  and  his  benevolence. 

"Oh,  no.  110,  papa,"  she  responded  impetuously. 
"  How  could  you  ask  such  a  question  ?  ~ 

•*  Because,"  he  said,  **  I  have  seen  myself  in  a  new 
light.  On  this  bed  I  have  read  the  secrets  of  my 
soul  Was  I  not  the  Earl  of  Arlington ;  the  descend 
ant  of  Saxon  and  Xorman  nobles ;  the  lord  of  a  vast 
estate ;  a  leader  in  Parliament ;  a  counsellor  <>f  sover 
eigns  :  starred  and  gartered  and  ribbonded  with  honors? 
Unconsciously  and  insensibly,  in  such  a  state,  man  feels 
he  is  not  a  common  mortaL  Here  I  have  learned 
that  L,  too,  am  dust.  Yes !  I  am  only  the  brother- 
worm  of  millions,  I  have  been  reduced  to  the  level 
of  my  humanity,  and  now,  before  men  and  before  God, 
I  esteem  myself  as  I  am — a  mortal  in  his  own  proper 
personality.  All  the  paltry  distinctions  of  life  seem 
as  nothing  compared  with  its  eternal  interests  and  rela 
tions.  The  silent  lesson  has  been  terrible.  But  it 
has  been  learned.  The  bitterness  is  over,  and  the  cup 
exhausted,  I  now  live  only  to  strengthen  you  for  a 
similar  experience.^ 

'•Oh.  my  father,"  she  cried,  "I,  too,  have  been 
passing  down,  down,  down,  amid  the  thorns  and  rocks 
of  this  dreadful  abyss  of  our  humanity.  Kor  have  I, 
as  you,  yet  reached  its  depths.  Rank,  wealth,  beauty, 
fashion,  leisure,  servants,  luxuries,  all  that  gave  charm 
and  grace  to  my  life,  went  down  with  my  Oscar  into 
the  ocean,  and  I  am  left  in  this  new  and  strange  land 
to  feel  that  I  am  alone  and  myself.  I  am  surrounded 


LORD  ARLINGTON'S  DEATH.  137 

by  all  that  is  hard,  uncouth,  vulgar  and  repulsive,  and 
possibly  by  fraud  and  villainy.  Yet  I  believe  that  I 
will  emerge  from  the  midnight  of  this  deep  with 
gifts  better  than  station  can  bestow." 

Mrs.  Neville  grasped  again  the  hand  of  her  father, 
and  fell  over  him  as  in  a  spasm  of  agony. 

"  Go  forward,"  resumed  the  Earl,  imprinting  a  long 
kiss  on  her  forehead.  "Go  forward,  my  daughter,  in 
the  path  of  trial  you  are  still  to  tread.  Only  such 
suffering  can  melt  the  ice  of  your  soul,  and  bring 
you  into  sympathy  with  our  humanity,  and  fit  you 
for  your  future  work  in  the  world." 

"I  see  it  all,"  she  cried;  "all,  all,  and  I  accept  it 
all." 

A  halo  now  seemed  encircling  the  brow  of  the  Earl. 
His  face  shone  in  the  light  of  more  than  a  terrestrial 
glory.  The  very  room  was  illuminated.  His  voice 
resembled  the  music  of  heaven,  as  he  said : 

"I  have  not  only  seen  the  vanity  of  earth,  but  also 
the  celestial  brightness.  The  veil  has  been  lifted.  On 
the  throne  of  the  universe  I  beheld  the  form  of  the 
Ineffable.  Around  His  human  person  was  the  glory 
of  His  Divinity.  Cherubim  and  Seraphim  were  there 
with  innumerable  men  in  angelic  shapes.  Oh,  the 
light,  the  song,  the  beauty,  the  everlasting  beatitude  ! 
I  faint,  I  fail ;  my  work  is  almost  over." 

"Oh,  father!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Neville,  reflecting  his 
countenance  in  her  own,  "I  feel  a  tranquillity  unknown 
before.  Help  will  come  in  my  last  extremity,  and  I 
will  conquer." 


138  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

"The  false  glitter  shall  be  taken  out  of  thy  life, 
my  daughter,"  whispered  the  Earl  feebly,  "and  the 
everlasting  gold  shall  be  thy  inheritance.  Call  my 
Lucy." 

She  was  near.  Lucy,  too,  had  heard  the  voice  of 
her  grandfather,  but,  finding  her  mother  already  con 
versing  at  his  side,  stood  in  the  passage  listening  to 
all  that  had  been  said.  She  now  flung  herself  on  his 
breast  and  found  comfort  in  her  tears.  How  beautiful 
the  spectacle  of  this  fair  girl,  weeping  on  the  heart  of 
the  old  dying  Earl !  Summoning  his  last  remaining 
strength,  while  his  face  was  irradiated  with  the  celes 
tial  light,  he  said  to  her : 

"My  power  is  almost  gone.  It  was  given  me  for 
your  mother  and  yourself.  Remember  what  you  have 
already  heard.  Your  trials  will  soon  be  over  and 
bring  you  good  in  the  end.  My  only  advice  is  :  Trust 
your  Saviour  and  marry  your  deliverer!" 

The  Earl's  life  was  nearly  over.  One  more  burst  of 
the  flame  and  its  light  on  earth  is  out  forever ! 
Raising  himself  with  an  inexpressible  majesty,  he  said, 
with  a  dignity  august  and  almost  superhuman  : 

"  It  would  not  be  fit  that  I  should  be  buried  in  a 
strange  land.  An  Earl  of  Arlington  should  sleep  in 
the  soil  of  England.  Embalm  my  body  and  carry  me 
to  my  dear  native  country.  Farewell  !  I  leave  you 
for  Paradise  ! " 

As  he  spoke,  his  eyes  closed  and  he  fell  back  on  his 
bed.  His  noble  features  were  illuminated  by  a  ray 
from  the  glory  of  the  setting  sun,  which  turned  to 


LORD  ARLINGTON'S  DEATH. 


139 


gold  his  venerable  hair,  seemed  on  his  forehead  a 
saintly  halo,  and  transfigured  his  countenance  into  a 
celestial  beauty. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
JUDGE  LIVINGSTONE'S  STUDY. 

HAT  more  comfortable  than  a  warm 
bright  study  in  a  chill  November 
evening !  Cheerful  lights ;  a 
sparkling  fire ;  rows  of  com 
panionable  books,  lounge,  desk, 
afghan,  and  all  the  little  or 
naments  suggesting  that  woman's  taste 
and  woman's  love  have  been  there  to  relieve 
the  bald  monotonous  masculinity !  Add  the 
persons  of  the  ladies  sitting  at  the  hour  of 
coffee  after  dinner  with  needles,  and  the 
blue  and  crimson  and  gold  of  embroidery, 
and  the  tone  of  affection,  and  the  smiles  from 
satisfied  hearts,  and  the  face  of  beauty,  while  gentle 
smoke  curls  upward  and  hangs  in  almost  a  conscious 
canopy  over  the  scene,  and  gentlemen  in  caps  and 
gowns  and  slippers,  and  all  the  allowable  privileges 
of  their  own  domain,  puff  so  leisurely  and  enjoyingly, 
and  the  story,  and  the  song,  and  the  repartee,  and 
the  merry  laugh,  give  token  that  the  aroma  of  domestic 
life  is  in  that  literary  centre  of  the  dwelling  toward 
which  all  gravitate  with  such  a  magnetic  influence. 
Take  a  vote  as  to  what  is  the  most  attractive 


"What  more  comfortable  than  a  warm  bright  study  in  a  chill  November 
evening."    Page  142. 


JUDGE  LIVINGSTONE'S  STUDY.  143 

room  in  the  house,  and  the  white  balls  will  say — 
STUDY.  So  thought  the  Livingstones,  father  and  mother 
and  son  and  daughter,  as  they  realized  in  its  ideal 
the  picture  I  have  described. 

"Well,  Frank,"  began  the  Judge,  "you  have  fought 
dragons,  and  windmills,  and  had  adventures  enough 
by  land  and  by  sea  to  satisfy  any  ordinary  errant  in 
his  chase  after  beauty.  Yet  you  seem  far  as  ever 
from  the  rescue.  I  suppose  you  now  feel  like  taking 
off  your  armor,  hanging  up  your  sword,  helm  and 
votive  shield,  and  abandoning  the  chivalric  pursuit  for 
the  business  of  your  office  and  the  society  of  your 
clients." 

"  Sir,  you  may  laugh  at  me,  and  I  deserve  it,"  said 
Frank,  with  a  tone  and  air  of  determination;  "but  the 
further  I  go  the  more  I  am  resolved.  I  must  move 
forward.  Having  advanced  thus  far,  I  must  proceed 
to  success,  or  lose  all  I  have  accomplished.  Besides, 
he  who  stops  short  of  his  purpose,  not  only  misses  his 
object,  but  injures*  his  character.  More  than  ever, 
*  CONQUER'  is  my  motto." 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  this,  my  son,  and  commend 
your  persistence.  You  will  find  in  our  city  and  over 
our  country  the  wrecks  of  old  and  wealthy  families, 
who  have  lost  everything  through  sensitiveness,  indo 
lence  and  irresolution,  while  the  bold  and  the  bad 
have  mounted  on  their  ruins  to  fortune.  In  this 
republic,  if  not  everywhere,  manhood  must  stand  on 
itself,  and  not  on  the  accidents  of  birth  and  estate. 
Primogeniture  here  should  be  no  guard  to  wealth,  and 


144  KINGS  OF  CAPITAL. 

only  those  who  acquire  by  activity  should  long  hold 
fortunes  in  their  grasp. 

"  Your  courage  is  a  pledge  that  we  may  yet  found 
in  our  Republic  an  order  of  merit,  which  will  sup 
plant  or  overshadow  our  mere  monied  snobbery.  But  I 
must  not  be  carried  away  by  my  favorite  topic. 
We  will  address  ourselves  to  business.  While  the 
ladies  work  and  listen  we  will  discuss  the  situation. 
And  first,  what  about  Villont  ? " 

"All  you  suggested,  sir,  has  so  far  proved  true. 
Our  detectives  have  reported  that  Slykes  often  inquires 
at  his  up  town  office,  and  has  been  seen  at  least  once 
in  his  down  town  room." 

"Ha!"  said  the  Judge,  looking  up  with  a  gleam 
of  hope  and  intelligence,  "that  is  an  important  fact 
and  may  lead  to  results.  Proceed  ! " 

"  I  have  also  ascertained  that  a  small  boy,  supposed 
to  be  Midge,  Villont's  reputed  son,  has  repeatedly 
brought  to  the  post-office  letters  for  England,  and  taken 
away  letters  from  England.  The  delivery  clerk,  how 
ever,  is  not  perfectly  certain  of  the  person  of  the  lad, 
and  could  not  give  satisfactory  proof  in  court." 

"Still,"  responded  the  Judge,  musingly  but  encour 
agingly,  "small  straws  become  sure  signs  when  they 
all  blow  in  the  same  direction.  I  have  the  dawn  of 
a  theory  which  will  soon  be  clear  of  mists.  Every 
thing  yet  known  points  forward  to  the  same  persons 
— dimly  yet  harmonizingly.  Did  you  ask  for  the  lists 
of  the  English  letters  for  the  last  few  months  ? " 

"  I    have,    sir,  and,    with   the    utmost    care,    I    have 


JUDGE  LIVINGSTONE'S  STUDY.  145 

found  that  they  included  the  name  of  EDWARD  ARLING 
TON,  and  the  clerk  also  has  a  confused  recollection 
that  his  was  the  address  for  which  the  little  boy  in 
quired.  I  forgot  to  say  that  the  boy  looked  like  an 
Italian,  which  answers  to  Midge." 

The  Judge  had  visibly  started  while  his  son  spoke. 
He  placed  his  hand  on  the  side  of  his  forehead  in 
deep  thought.  A  sudden  light  broke  over  his  face,  as 
if  some  buried  memory  had  been  evoked  from  its 
darkness.  At  last  he  inquired  eagerly : 

"  Have  you  the  old  book  containing  the  names  of 
the  INTER  OCEANIC  stockholders  used  in  our  suits  against 
the  corporation  ?  " 

"Yes,    sir;   I  kept  it    as    a    memento  of    your    legal 

•> 

life  you  might  value  on  the  bench  and  after  your 
retirement.  I  placed  it  myself  on  the  top  shelf  in  the 
northern  corner  of  your  library.  There  it  is  now  !  I 
can  tell  it  by  its  large  size  and  great  gilded  letters." 

Frank  instantly  seized  the  library  steps,  mounted 
them,  reached  toward  the  volume,  grasped  it,  blew 
away  the  dust,  leaped  down,  and,  placing  it  on  the 
table,  turned  to  a  page  near  the  beginning,  and* 
hastily  glancing  his  eye  over  the  lists,  exclaimed  : 

"Here,  here  is  something  of  importance  !  You 
have  directed  me  to  another  link  in  this  chain  of  testi 
mony.  I  find  the  name  of  Lord  Arlington,  and 
opposite,  five  thousand  shares  for  the  benefit  of  Mrs. 
Emily  Neville." 

"  I  have  it,"  said  the  judge  quickly ;  "  at  least,  I 
think  I  have  it  all.  But  I  must  not  be  as  eager  as 


146  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

you  were  in  your  Chicago  chase.  An  old  lawyer 
never  runs  where  he  ought  to  walk.  Edward,  as  I 
now  remember,  is  the  christened  name  of  Lord 
Arlington.  I  have  heard  of  his  majestic  appearance 
and  resemblance  to  Washington,  and  also  of  the  beauty 
of  his  daughter  and  granddaughter,  and  of  the  splendid 
face  and  form  of  his  son-in-law,  Colonel  Oscar  Neville. 
It  is  flashing  through  me  like  sunlight  that  this  is  the 
party  you  saw  on  the  Britannia.  Most  probably  the 
Earl  is  traveling  under  his  real  name  — Edward 
Arlington — and  that  the  correspondence  of  the  party  is 
under  that  name.  Moreover,  I  suspect  that  these 
INTER  OCEANIC  rascals  have  discovered  these  facts,  and 
sought  the  plunder  of  their  rich  English  stockholders. 
It  was  Colonel  Neville  who  was  hurled  into  the  ocean, 
and  his  death  and  the  Earl's  age  have  facilitated  their 
infamous  scheme.  I  will  not  affirm  that  my  theory  is 
yet  proved  by  the  facts,  but  I  believe  that  it  will  yet 
be  proved  by  the  facts." 

Frank  burst  forth  with  a  cry  of  joyful  relief.  The 
evidence  was  not  indeed  sufficient  to  establish  the 
supposition.  It  was,  however,  a  solution  of  almost 
every  difficulty  of  the  dark  problem,  and  seemed  to 
pour  around  him  a  clear  and  fresh  light.  He  said : 
"  I  have4  sometimes  had  a  glimmer  of  this  truth, 
but  it  has  been  reserved  for  your  wisdom  to  discover 
and  suggest  it.  This,  I  feel,  is  the  clew  to  this 
mystery." 

"Do  not  be  too    rapid,"    replied  the  cautious  Judge. 
"Kemember     Chicago     and     St.    Louis  !      To    the    legal 


JUDGE  LIVINGSTONE'S  STUDY.  147 

certainty  of  the  result  is  yet  a  long  journey.  Villont 
is  at  present  the  key  to  the  situation.  The  old  villain 
knows  everything." 

While  this  conversation  was  progressing,  the  ladies 
listened  with  the  most  eager  interest.  You  could 
measure  the  intensity  of  their  minds  by  the  speed  of 
their  flying  fingers,  as  their  needles  glanced  and  glit 
tered  in  the  light,  and  the  beautiful  flowers  grew  in 
size  and  color  under  each  magic  feminine  touch. 
Occasionally  they  exchanged  glances,  and  whispered 
words,  diffusing  over  the  serenity  of  the  legal  scrutiny 
the  sweet  light  of  the  affections.  After  a  few  minutes, 
of  silence  Frank  resumed  : 

"In  one  particular,  I  fear  that  I  have  gone  too  fast 
and  too  far.  I  hate  the  meanness  of  the  spy,  and  yet 
my  anxiety  may  have  betrayed  me  into  what  I  have 
despised  from  my  youth.  Suspecting  Villont  and 
Slykes,  I  employed  an  old  client  of  ours,  now  on  the 
police  force,  to  hire  an  apartment  next  to  the  French, 
scoundrel,  to  pierce  his  wall  and  watch  his  movements. 
When  I  receive  a  telegram  I  am  to  proceed  to  the 
place  myself." 

"Excellent,"  said  the  Judge,  "by  all  means!  Were 
your  end  unworthy,  the  act  would  be  contemptible. 
You  are  only  employing  an  officer  of  the  law  to  do 
the  work  of  the  law  in  unearthing  villains.  I  commend 
your  foresight,  and  believe  it  will  promote  our  success." 

While  the  Judge  spoke,  a  servant  entered  with  a 
telegram  for  Frank.  Opening  and  reading  it  hastily, 
he  exclaimed  : 


148  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

"Here  is  my  summons.  I  have  been  expecting  it 
and  must  leave  instantly.  Excuse  me ;  I  will  report 
soon." 

He  passed  into  the  hall,  snatched  his  cap  and  over 
coat,  and  threw  himself  into  a  waiting  vehicle.  The 
cab  flew  down  the  streets,  the  horse  striking  sparks 
from  the  stones,  and  was  driven  furiously  until  within 
three  blocks  of  Villont's  dwelling,  where  Frank  emerged, 
and,  walking  cautiously  along  under  the  shadows  of  the 
bouses,  soon  arrived  where  Villont  lived  and  plotted. 
He  found  the  officer  at  his  post,  watching  through  the 
hole.  He  himself  applied  his  eye.  The  spectacle  was 
not  soon  to  be  forgotten. 

The  room  was  a  carpetless  den,  dim  with  dust,  and 
festooned  with  cobwebs.  A  single  lamp  gave  a  ghastly 
light.  The  day  in  that  sombre  place  seldom  heard  the 
buzz  of  the  companionable  fly,  and  the  night  was  a 
stranger  to  the  chirp  of  the  cheerful  and  domestic  cricket. 
There  the  spider  had  his  congenial  haunt,  and,  like  the 
owner,  wove  for  himself  his  webs  of  plunder  and  death. 
Had  entrance  been  possible,  you  would  have  found  there 
the  evening  bat  and  the  solitary  owl,  while  the  wolf, 
the  lynx  and  the  hyena  would  have  been  fitter  guard 
ians  than  the  faithful  and  affectionate  dog. 

All  around  the  apartment  were  recesses  of  iron  like 
huge  pigeon-holes,  in  which  were  placed  boxes  of  iron 
within  boxes  of  iron,  and  these  protected  by  bolts  of 
iron.  Iron,  iron,  iron  everywhere  to  guard  the  miser's 
gold.  Each  interior  box  held  the  treasure,  which  was 
in  bright  American  eagles.  From  twilight  to  midnight, 


JUDGE  LIVINGSTONE'S  STUDY.  149 

the  hoarded  sums  were  counted  with  gloating  eye  and 
eager  finger  by  Villont.  This  was  the  recreation  of  his 
strange  life.  Into  the  empty  boxes  he  dropped  the 
earnings  of  the  day,  and  counted  the  full  boxes,  until 
the  midnight  stroke  of  twelve  summoned  to  his  wretched 
bed.  For  him  this  was  intenser  joy  than  was  afforded 
to  others  by  club,  or  theatre,  or  opera,  or  lecture,  or 
all  the  glitter  and  luxury,  and  companionship  so 
attractive  to  our  humanity. 

Villont  had  secured  his  den  by  other  defences 
besides  bolts  and  bars.  Let  the  robber  enter;  a  touch, 
a  click,  and  the  miser's  secret  exploding  machines  will 
have  blown  the  intruder  to  fragments.  See  how  cau 
tiously  he  moves  about  his  own  apartment !  He  fears 
his  own  weapons  of  protection.  A  spring  carelessly 
touched  may  kill  him  among  his  treasures. 

Villont  sat  in  the  midst  of  his  den.  On  a  small 
table  was  a  package  of  copied  letters.  Gold  could 
scarcely  have  given  him  greater  satisfaction.  He  looked 
at  them,  tapped  them,  took  them  fondlingly,  and  said 
in  tones  of  hate  and  with  a  look  of  grim  joy : 

"  Sleekes,  Sammie,— Sammie  Sleekes  !  Villont's  day 
is  coming !  He'll  pay  your  impudence  in  von  prison- 
jacket,  in  de  nice  locksteps,  in  von  leetle  pleasant 
black  cell.  Dese  letters  be  your  von  big  ruin :  your 
huge  destruction.  Sammie  deveel  Sleekes,  von  dyna 
mite  to  blow  into  leetle  beets  your  Sat-tan's  Railway ! " 

The  wretch  arose,  and  danced  around  his  treasure 
with  the  antic  glee  of  a  Satyr  anticipating  his  fresh 
feast  of  blood. 


150  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

There  was  a  slight  sound  without  the  door.  Villont 
started,  and,  seizing  the  package,  thrust  it  into  the 
pocket  of  his  gown.  Slykes  entered.  By  some  mystery 
of  neglectfulness  the  door  had  been  left  ajar.  An 
enemy  was  there  to  take  advantage  of  the  oversight. 
Slykes  was  always  on  the  watch,  and,  with  the  genius 
of  a  juggler,  improved  his  opportunities.  Putting  his 
hands  into  his  pockets,  drawing  up  his  small  person, 
and  speaking  in  his  shrillest  twang,  he  said,  with 
elevated  brows  and  cool  impudence : 

"  Good  evenin',  money  chest  !  Among  them  Ameri 
can  eagles,  sure  as  a  spider  among  dead  flies !  Piles 
of  gold  in  your  den,  my  old  dollar  snatcher." 

Villont  stared  at  his  tormentor  with  the  leer  and 
grin  of  a  horrible  hate.  Had  he  dared,  he  would  have 
struck  him  dead. 

"  Dis  von  appartemon  be  mine,  sare !  Veel  you 
please  leave  it,  sare  ?" 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,  old  wrinkles;  not  a  bit  of  it !  as 
we  say  when  a  biler  busts  and  we  can't  find  the  pieces. 
No  !  my  man-screw ;  Sam  Slykes  is  here  for  business — 
will  leave  when  he  gets  what  he  comes  for." 

"Vat's  dat  you  come  for,  sare!  Tell  me  dat  and 
begone  ! " 

"  Come  for,"  said  Slykes,  with  a  survey  of  the  most 
provoking  coolness;  "come  for!  Something  you'll  stick 
to  like  a  forty-ton  locomotive  to  a  new,  straight  track  ! 
Something  you  like  better  than  a  money-box,  or  your 
own  benevolent  heart,  or  even  your  friend  and  bene 
factor,  Sam  Slykes." 


JUDGE  LIVINGSTONE'S  STUDY.  151 

"  Well,  sare,  vat  dat  ting  is  you  deseere  ?  Tell  me 
now  and  I  will  give  it,  if  posseebel,  and  see  you  never 
here  once  again  ! 

"See  them  letter-copies  sticking  out  of  the  pocket 
of  your  gown,  like  sleepin'  car-pillows  airin'  at  the  win 
dows  !  I  want  them,"  screamed  Slykes,  "and  I'll  have 
them.  I'll  stick  to  you  like  boiler-crust,  my  venerable 
boy  !  Shut  your  door  !  Sam  Slykes  will  open  it !  Draw 
your  bolt !  Sam  Slykes  will  pull  it  back  !  Hide  in  a 
money-box !  Sam  Slykes  will  drag  you  out  and  your 
eagles  with  you  !  Touch  that  key  and  Sam  Slykes  will 
teach  you  that  a  bullet  flies  quicker  than  rusty  iron  ! " 

Noticing  Villont  moving  to  snatch  a  huge  key  on  the 
table  as  a  weapon  for  attack,  Slykes  quickly  drew  and 
cocked  his  revolver,  and  pointed  it  at  his  enraged  but 
defenceless  victim,  who  screamed  out  in  his  despair : 

"Now,  sare,  at  once  let  me  know  your  leetle  bees- 
ness,  and  I'll  obleege  you  if  in  my  abilitie." 

"  Out,  then,  with  the  copies  of  those  English  letters 
— out  with  them  now,  my  gold-bag ;  out  with  them  from 
the  pocket  of  that  gown ;  out  with  them,  old  true  soul, 
or  Sam  Slykes  will  hang  your  head  above  your  heels, 
invite  the  crows  to  your  flesh,  make  one-half  your 
eagles  fly  into  Uncle  Sam's  pocket,  and  the  other  half 
come  screamin'  for  joy  into  the  pocket  of  Sam  Slykes, 
as  sure  as  steam  whizzes  through  an  open  throttle- 
valve." 

Villont  saw  that  there  was  to  be  no  end  to  this. 
While  Slykes  lived  he  was  to  be  a  victim— a  miserable 
.slave  down  to  a  miserable  grave.  His  rage  was  that 


152  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

of  a  demon  in  despair.  Seizing  quickly  the  key  he 
flung  it  at  his  foe,  and,  missing  him,  closed  in  a  last 
fatal  struggle.  By  a  sudden  nervous  and  powerful 
effort  Slykes  hurled  him  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
room.  A  flash,  a  report ;  the  head  of  Villont  is 
exploded  into  pieces.  He  had  fallen  on  one  of  his  own 
secret  springs.  Smoke  filled  the  apartment.  The  blood 
and  the  brains  were  scattered  round  on  his  own  money- 
chests,  and  there  he  lay,  a  poor,  mangled,  ghastly, 
frightful  human  ruin  !  Slykes  rushed  through  the  door, 
taking  the  precaution  to  close  it,  and  fled  down  the 
stairs,  and  along  the  street  in  an  agony  fierce  as  that 
with  which  he  had  ever  shaken  his  mutilated  victim— 
an  agony,  not  of  remorse,  but  of  terror. 

Frank  Livingstone  stood  for  a  moment  aghast. 
Recovering  himself,  he  and  the  officer  proceeded  to  the 
fatal  spot.  The  door  was  forced  open,  and  they 
entered.  A  thick  smoke,  the  red  glare  of  the  lamp, 
and  the  torn  and  bloody  head  of  Villont  made  a  sick 
ening  spectacle.  But  the  claims  of  duty  were  first. 
The  officer  took  possession  of  the  body,  and  removing 
the  letters  from  the  pocket  of  Villont,  gave  them  to 
Livingstone,  who  thus  had  what  Slykes  so  eagerly 
coveted,  and  so  brutally  demanded.  He  at  once 
returned  to  his  waiting  cab,  and  was  driven  rapidly 
home.  Under  other  circumstances  he  would  have 
entered  the  house  with  the  joy  of  triumph,  and  col 
lected  the  family,  and  held  aloft  his  prize,  and  made 
the  hour  memorable-  by  the  exultations  of  his  victory. 
But  he  passed  into  the  study  awed  and  soleminized 


JUDGE  LIVINGSTONE'S  STUDY.  153 

by  what  he  had  seen  and  heard.  In  a  few  brief 
words,  he  narrated  to  his  father  what  had  happened 
and  placed  before  him  on  the  table  the  package  of  the 
copied  letters. 

There  it  was  at  last.  They  saw  it ;  they  touched 
it ;  they  opened  it ;  they  read  its  contents.  Yes ! 
there  it  was !  Time,  money,  toil,  peril,  had  been 
required  to  secure  it.  But  there  it  was  !  A  clew  to 
the  mystery  !  A  proof  of  all  they  had  feared  and  sus 
pected  ! 

All  was  now  revealed.  The  letters  were  examined 
so  far  as  circumstances  made  it  necessary,  collected 
and  arranged  according  to  their  dates.  Evidently  they 
were  exact  letterpress  copies.  The  earliest,  so  far 
as  they  permitted  themselves  to  peruse,  they  discovered 
to  be  mere  letters  of  news  and  of  affection.  Expres 
sions  of  surprise  on  both  sides  succeeded  at  the  long 
mutual  silence.  Astonishment  and  bewilderment  -grew 
as  time  advanced.  Then  came  requests  for  money 
and  remittances  of  money. 

Finally  there  was  disappointment,  and  that  despair 
of  results  which  had  evidently  closed  the  painful  corres 
pondence. 

After  sufficiently  mastering  and  noting  the  contents 
of  the  package,  Frank  raised  his  head  and  said  to 
his  father. 

"  I  suppose,  sir,  tnat  we  are  now  ready  to  arrest 
Risk,  Planning  and  Slykes." 

"I  am  not  certain  of  that,"  replied  the  prudent 
Judge. 


154  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

"You  surprise  me,"  said  his  son;  "  it  seems  to  me 
that  the  proofs  are  complete,  and  that  we  incur  risks 
by  delay." 

"I  will  give  you  my  reasons/'  answered  the  Judge, 
after  some  minutes  of  deep  reflection.  "My  first 
objection  might  have  been  expected  from  you.  Our  time 
should  be  occupied  in  discovering  and  relieving  the 
ladies.  When  they  are  found,  the  case  will  be  far 
more  complete.  It  has  now  assumed  a  national 
importance.  We  are  about  to  enter  into  a  struggle  with 
a  vast  corporation,  which  will  fight  with  all  the  energy 
of  despair.  Remember,  too,  that  these  are  mere  copies, 
and  that  Villont  is  not  here  to  connect  them  with  the 
officers  of  the  Railway.  Should  Midge  be  recovered, 
he  is  too  young  to  have  much  influence  with  a  jury. 
You  must  use  all  your  energies  to  recover  the  origin 
als,  which,  doubtless,  are  in  the  safe  at  the  rooms  of 
the  INTER  OCEANIC  Depot.  We  are  now  masters  of  the 
situation,  and  can  afford  to  wait  and  work.  Our  com 
plete  success  seems  certain/' 

Frank  was  convinced  by  his  father's  reasons.  At 
the  bottom  of  the  package  was  a  paper  which,  not 
being  a  letter,  had  not  yet  been  examined.  It  proved 
to  be  the  last  will  and  testament  of  Villont,  bequeath 
ing  his  entire  property  to  his  son  Midgetto,  who,  at 
his  majority,  would  thus  have  an  estate  worth  one 
hundred  thousand  dollars. 


CHAPTER  X. 

SAM    SLYKES'    COURTSHIP. 


ITTING  by  her  mother's  side,  in  their 
plain  little  parlor,  Lucy  Neville  said, 
"  I  wish  to  speak  to  you  on  a  subject 
painful  to  us  both." 

"  Do     not     hesitate,     my     daughter. 
Tell    me    all     that    is    in     your    mind    and 
heart.      We  must  have  no  reserves  between 
us   in   our  present  trying    circumstances.      I 
,>     have    been    so    busy  with   your  grandpapa, 
and  so  unhappy  and  perplexed  that  I  have 
not     been    able     to    converse    with    you    as 
much  as   I  desired." 
"I  never    told,"   said    Lucy,    "how  much    I    suffered 
when  your  jewels  were  sold,   and,  above  all,  our  beau 
tiful    dresses,    and    when    I     put    on    what     I    am    now 
wearing." 

"You  did  not,  my  dear;  nor  was  it  necessary.  I 
understand  my  Lucy's  sufferings  by  the  keen  intensity 
of  my  own." 

"Oh,  mamma,  I  thought  my  life  was  going  out  of 
me,  and  that  I  was  bidding  adieu  to  all  that  was 
lovely  forever.  In  my  present  clothing,  and  in  this 
ugly  place,  and  amid  these  people,  I  no  more  feel  like 


156  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

Lucy  Neville  ;  and  yet,"  she  added,  with  a  look  of 
strength  and  lofty  determination,  "I  am  Lucy  Neville, 
and  I  will  be  Lucy  Neville.  But  it  is  dreadful,  dread 
ful,  dreadful!" 

"  My  Lucy,  only  those  who  have  been  in  such  a 
furnace  can  realize  how  fierce  and  terrible  the  flames. 
They  scorch  through  the  flesh  into  the  very  soul. 
Take  from  our  kings  and  nobles  the  tokens  of 
their  birth,  their  titles,  their  estates  and  all  the  outward 
splendors  of  their  rank  and  power,  and  they  little 
know  how  soon  in  their  feelings  they  would  be  reduced 
to  the  level  of  our  ordinary  humanity.  Only  those 
who  go  down  from  the  brilliance  above  into  the  dark 
ening  abyss  can  know  the  agonies  of  the  pas 
sage.  When  we  remember  their  changeful  histories, 
monarchs,  as  a  class,  will  not  be  envied.  How  many 
palaces  of  Europe  are  the  monuments  of  their  sor 
rows  !  Alas  !  I  fear,  more  will  be  ! " 

"  At  first,"  resumed  Lucy,  "I  thought  my  Arlington 
and  Neville  blood  would  be  superior  to  everything.  My 
spirit  seemed  a  flame  of  fire,  and  I  did  not  let  you  see 
how  it  blazed  within  me.  My  resolution  was  fixed 
never  to  be  vulgarized.  However,  I  soon  found  that 
vulgar  people  and  vulgar  associations  were  producing 
their  effect,  and  that  I  must  sink  down  to  the  vulgar 
level  around  me.  Do  you  know  what  stopped  me  in 
my  descent,  mamma  ? " 

"  Tell  me  your  secret,  my  daughter ;  for,  alas !  I, 
who  should  be  your  guide  and  your  help,  feel  myself 
surely  plunging  down  into  the  hateful,  hateful  chasm." 


SAM    SLYKES'    COURTSHIP.  157 

"  Well,  mamma,  I  found  aid  where  I  did  not  expect 
it.  There  was  something  in  the  dying  words  and 
majestic  look  of  dear  grandpapa  that  seemed  to  inspire 
and  transform  me.  Light  shone  around  me  as  from 
another  world,  and  the  splendors  from  his  face  illum 
inated  my  very  dreams.  I  feel  in  me  now  a  strength 
that  can  conquer  everything,  and,  like  an  eagle,  soar 
above  the  cloud  and  tempest." 

"  Oh,  my  daughter!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Neville,  "that 
I  had  your  simple  and  beautiful  trust !  I  feel  sinking, 
sinking ;  still  and  ever  sinking.  My  Arlington  spirit 
has  not  been  equal  to  the  battle.  I  thought  my  family 
pride  invincible.  Alas  !  alas  !  I  am  like  a  broken  ship, 
drifting  before  wind  and  wave.  Yet !  oh  yet,  at  the 
last,  I  shall  be  recovered,  and  resemble  the  strong 
vessel,  under  steam  and  sail,  dashing  aside  the  billows, 
and  defying  the  storms  while  rushing  gallantly  onward 
to  her  harbor." 

Mrs.  Neville  sank  back  on  the  sofa  and  relieved 
herself  by  tears.  When  her  paroxysm  had  subsided, 
Lucy  resumed  : 

"  In  your  present  distress,  mamma,  I  hesitate  to 
speak  to  you,  and  yet  there  is  something  pressing 
heavily  on  my  mind.  May  I  venture  my  advice  ? " 

"Certainly,  Lucy,  certainly.  Our  present  circum 
stances  demand  mutual  confidences.  Speak  fully  and 
freely." 

"I  feel  strongly,  dear  mamma,  that  we  should  break 
away  from  all  future  associations  with  Mr.  Risk,  Plan 
ning,  and  that  odious  Slykes.  While  we  were  such 


158  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

strangers,  and  grandpapa  was  so  ill  and  helpless,  it 
seemed  necessary,  but  now  we  ought  to  take  care  of 
ourselves,  and  as  that  is  the  right  thing  we  will  be 
sustained  in  doing  it." 

The  noble  girl,  as  she  spoke,  unclasped  her  arms 
from  the  neck  of  her  mother,  and  stood  before  her  the 
impersonation  of  all  that  is  lovely  in  young  female 
beauty.  She  seemed  radiant  as  she  Uttered  her  plea. 
There  was  something  grander  than  the  Arlington  in 
her.  It  was  a  ray  from  the  glory  of  the  celestial 
light  illuminating  her  womanhood. 

"How  can  we  work  ?"  replied  Mrs.  Neville,  plaintively, 
and  with  an  expression  of  disgust.  "  I  cannot  do  it, 
and  you  cannot  do  it.  We  do  not  know  how.  It  is 
absurd.  Oh,  I  seem  abandoned  by  earth  and  by 
Heaven  !  Although  we  have  so  many  friends  abroad, 
here  we  may  be  a  prey  to  enemies.  My  heart  is  be 
coming  iron  ;  I  weep,  but  my  tears  are  as  drops  of  hail ; 
I  pray,  but  my  words  vanish  into  air;  I  look  upward, 
but  soon  turn  my  face  downward  to  the  darkness  of 
inevitable  despair." 

"O,  mamma,  do  not  yield  thus,"  cried  Lucy,  with 
an  heroic  energy.  "I  cannot  sink  my  spirit.  Some 
thing  in  me  .is  immortal  and  unconquerable.  I  am 
determined  to  act  for  myself,  and  break  away  from 
these  men  whom  I  sometimes  fear  to  be  bad  and 
treacherous,  and  the  real  cause  of  our  ruin ;  I  shrink 
from  them ;  yes,  shrink  from  them  as  I  could  not 
from  honest  vulgarity." 

"Be  careful,  my  daughter;   I  beseech  you,   be    care- 


SAM    SLYKES'    COURTSHIP.  159 

ful;"  said  Mrs.  Neville,  in  alarm.  "Your  independence 
may  be  a  mere  sentiment  and  fail  in  its  efforts,  so 
as  to  make  our  situation  more  terrible  than  ever. 
What  shall  I  do!  Oh,  what  shall  I  do!"  she  burst 
out  with  passionate  energy,  and  wringing  her  hands,  as 
if  in  despair. 

"  No,  mamma,"  said  Lucy,  with  increased  fervor 
and  resolution ;"  the  time  for  such  cautious  fears  has 
passed.  I  feel  that  if  I  am  bold  I  will  be  strong. 
The  performance  of  my  duty  will  bring  with  it  more 
courage.  Some  divine  power,  some  invisible  force  is 
leading  me  onward.  At  once  and  for  ever  I  will  dis 
miss  Mr.  Slykes,  and  oh,  permit  me  to  say  it,  you  are 
on  a  precipice.  Dark  waters  are  below.  Oh  !  I  pray 
you,  I  pray  you,  do  not  permit  Mr.  Risk  to  continue 
his  attentions.  I  feel  that  he  may  plunge  us  over  the 
brink  into  a  sea  of  miseries.  Let  us  make  ourselves 
free  and  trust  to  our  Father  in  Heaven." 

As  the  young  girl  uttered  these  noble  words,  she 
looked  upward,  and  stood  before  her  mother  with 
clasped  hands  and  eyes  full  of  light  and  beauty.  Her 
face  shone  with  an  almost  heavenly  expression,  and 
her  lips  were  closed  with  the  might  of  a  conquering 
will.  The  spirit  of  independence  transfused  her  soul 
and  her  body.  The  contrast  was  singular.  Mrs. 
Neville's  black  eyes  had  naturally  all  the  Arlington 
fire.  Thoroughly  feminine  in  person  and  character, 
she  had  yet  an  unconscious  arrogance  in  her  bearing, 
while  Lucy,  delicate,  fragile,  and  sometimes  even  pen 
sive  and  unusually  retiring,  would  never  have  suggested 


160  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

the  superior  power  of  character  she  was  now  evincing. 
She,  in  the  bloom  of  her  beautiful  youth,  rose  to  the 
situation— her  mother,  in  the  maturity  of  her  woman 
hood,  sank  below  it.  The  one  resembled  the  fair 
plant  bending  up  against  the  storm,  and  the  other 
the  trembling  tree  yielding  to  the  might  of  the 
tempest. 

Lucy  was  to  be  tried  sooner  than  she  supposed. 
Such  strength  never  fails  to  find  its  test.  Looking 
out  of  the  window  Miss  Neville  saw  Mr.  Slykes  on  the 
steps.  She  read  his  purpose  in  his  look,  and  his 
attire,  and  formed  her  plans  accordingly.  As  poverty 
had  dismissed  their  waitress,  she  answered  the  ring 
herself,  and  opened  the  door  with  her  own  hand,  and 
then,  extending  it,  said,  with  a  frank  but  dignified 
cordiality, 

" Good-morning,  Mr.  Slykes.  Will  you  not  come  in? 
We  will  be  pleased  to  have  you  in  the  parlor." 

"  Good-mornin',  Miss  Neville  ;  that's  what  I'm  here 
for,"  responded  the  encouraged  and  delighted  gentle 
man. 

He  entered  the  hall  and  passed  into  the  parlor,  which 
Mrs.  Neville  had  abandoned  in  disgust  and  alarm, 
while  the  daughter,  excusing  herself  for  a  moment, 
left  the  aspiring  widower  alone. 

Sam  Slykes  was  at  his  best,  and  more  particularly 
than  ever  Sam  Slykes.  His  necktie  was  particularly 
blazing ;  his  ruby  was  particularly  red ;  his  diamond 
was  particularly  flashing ;  his  foxhead  was  particularly 
sly  and  sharp ;  his  clothes  were  particularly  stylish, 


SAM    SLYKES'    COURTSHIP.  1G1 

and  his  face,  look  and  manner  particularly  Slykey, 
vulgar  and  repulsive.  .  He  stands  before  the  glass, 
brushing  first  his  thin  moustache  and  then  his  slight 
beard.  See  !  he  now  slicks  his  recently  dyed  hair,  and 
gazes  at  his  mirrored  image  in  complacent  triumph, 
and  then  nods  and  talks  to  it  in  low  whispered  and 
approving  words  : 

'  *  Spry  and  smart  you  look,  my  boy— brass  bright 
as  a  new  locomotive !  Now's  your  chance  my  hand 
some  widerer !  Stocks  down !  Money  gone  !  House 
mortgaged  !  INTER  OCEANIC  on  a  bust  generally  !  Marry 
the  gal,  and  the  things  t'other  way,  like  a  reversed 
train  backin'  away  from  a  broken  bridge  and  runnin' 
for  life.  Marry  the  gal  !  Lord  Clare's  dead  and  Mrs. 
Neville's  next  heir.  Estates  large  ;  family  big  ;  genuine 
aristoc !  So  marry  the  gal !  Will  be  like  a  parlor 
coach  in  a  passenger  train.  Ha !  may  be  Samuel 
Slykes,  Esq. !  Sir  Samuel  Slykes  !  Lord  Slykes  !  Markiss 
Slykes  !  Earl  Slykes !  Duke  Slykes !  Therefore,  marry 
the  gal !  Among  the  big  bugs  of  old  England,  and 
Sam  Slykes  the  biggest  bug  in  the  pile  ! " 

While  Slykes  stood  before  the  mirror  talking  thus 
admiringly  and  encouragingly  to  his  own  responsive 
image,  which  answered  with  looks  equally  inspiring 
&nd  approving,  Miss  Neville  entered  and  stood  enjoy 
ing  the  conversation,  which,  however,  she  imagined 
rather  than  heard.  When  that  gentleman  turned  from 
the  glass,  he  confronted  her  without  the  least  embar 
rassment,  expecting  that  she  would  be  as  much  pleased 
with  him  ,as  he  was  pleased  with  himself. 


162  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

Laughing,  she  said :  "I  am  glad  to  find  you  in 
such  pleasant  company,  Mr.  Slykes.  While  alone, 
you  are  yet  not  alone.  You  are  evidently  enjoying 
the  conversation  with  that  charming  person,  and, 
doubtless  prefer  his  society  to  my  own.  Pardon 
me ;  shall  I  retire,  and  leave  you  in  your  admira 
tion?" 

"No,  Miss  Neville,  no,"  said  the  unabashed  Slykes  ; 
"my  business  is  with  you,  entirely  with  you.  I 
didn't  come  to  talk  to  a  lookin'-glass." 

"Yet,  Mr.  Slykes,  you  seemed  remarkably  happy  in 
what  the  looking-glass  was  saying  to  you,  and  to  enjoy 
every  look  and  smile  of  your  inimitable  friend." 

"  Seemed,  only  seemed.  Miss  Neville !  All  right,  but 
a  little  sad ;  sorter  down — lonely,  like,  you  understand." 

"A  young  girl  like  myself,  Mr.  Slykes,  far  from 
home,  having  lost  her  father  at  sea,  and  witnessed  so 
recently  her  grandfather's  death,  with  a  widowed 
mother,  among  strangers,  and  brought,  as  you  know, 
from  affluence  to  poverty,  can  certainly  comprehend 
something  of  the  word  lonely" 

"Glad  to  hear  you  talk  this  way,  Miss  Neville.  It 
will  bring  our  hearts  together  like  a  cross-tie.  You 
know  that  I  am  a  widerer?" 

"That  is  a  fact  in  your  history,  Mr.  Slykes,  I  must 
say  I  have  never  learned.  I  have  no  doubt  the  late 
Mrs.  Slykes  was  a  worthy  woman." 

"A  lady,  Miss  Neville,  a  lady— nice  as  a  drawin'- 
room-car-chair  afore  the  picters  get  wore  off,  and 
blessin'  all  sittin'  on  it,  and  I'll  tell  you  how  I  got 


SAM.     SLYKES'    COURTSHIP.  163 

her.  She  was  Mrs.  Slimsy — lost  her  husband — I  helped 
her  put  flowers  on  his  grave  and  she  found  another  over 
his  slumberin'  bones— found  me,  Miss  Neville.  Yes ;  she 
was  pious ;  always  goin'  to  church  and  feedin'  the 
poor,  as  a  full  tender  feeds  a  workin'  engine.  But 
she's  gone,  and  this  world  to  Sam  Slykes  is  a  smokin' 
tunnel  when  the  train's  jist  out." 

"I  most  sincerely  compassionate  your  misfortunes, 
Mr.  Slykes,  and  only  wish  my  ability  to  assist  you 
equalled  my  sympathy  with  your  situation." 

"But,  Miss  Neville,  you  can  help  me,  and  make  this 
breakin'  heart  smart  as  a  new  engine." 

"I  cannot  even  imagine,  Mr.  Slykes,  how  a  poor, 
friendless  girl  like  myself  can  do  anything  toward 
mending  such  broken  machinery." 

"  You  can,  Miss  Neville ;  indeed,  you  can,"  said 
Slykes,  tenderly  and  emphatically,  drawing  near  the 
beautiful  girl  as  she  moved  further  away  in  her  rising 
disgust.  She,  however,  was  devoid  of  fear,  and 
resolved  so  to  play  her  part  that  the  repulsive  absurd 
ity  should  never  be  repeated.  Slykes  would  have 
seized  her  delicate  hand,  but  even  his  assurance  per 
ceived  the  time  had  not  yet  arrived  for  so  affectionate 
a  demonstration.  He  was  perfectly  certain  it  would 
come. 

"Miss  Neville,"  he  resumed,  with  a  forced  tender 
ness  in  his  tone,  and  whining  into  her  face  his  manu 
factured  grief ;  • "  I  said  I  was  a  smokin'  tunnel  when 
the  train's  jist  out.  The  figger  is  not  strong  enough. 
You  have  fine  locomotives  at  home  !  So  I  have  heard 


164  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

from  Lyman  and  Coolie.       Good  as  ours  in    America  ? " 
continued  Slykes,   becoming  softer    in    his  tone. 

"None,  sir,  better  in  the  world  than  those  in  India 
and  in  England.  They've  rushed  me  many  times  like 
lightning  along  the  Thames  and  the  Ganges." 

"Splendid  sight,"  exclaimed  Slykes,  rising  with  dila 
ted  eye  and  brightening  face,  as  if  seeing  what  he 
described.  "  Splendid  sight  is  a  locomotive,  under  full 
steam,  flyin'  over  plains,  windin'  up  mountains,  dashin' 
through  tunnels,  flashin'  across  bridges,  and  a  blowin' 
and  a  yellin'  and  a  snortin'  like  an  Arab  steed,  with 
his  breath  smoke,  his  eye  fire,  and  his  step  thunder 
and  lightning;  rushing  through  the  country  and  excitin' 
all  about,  and  makin'  the  very  dogs  run  after  it 
barkin'  mad." 

"  A  most  vivid  picture,  Mr.  Slykes.  Well  done,  I 
assure  you,"  said  Lucy,  laughing. 

Slykes  was  encouraged  and  delighted.  He  was  like 
a  bantum  cock  almost  ready  to  crow  and  clap  his 
wings.  While  sinking  his  voice  to  its  most  melting 
tones,  he  yet  felt  in  his  heart  the  glow  of  anticipated 
triumph  as  he  exclaimed  with  ridiculous  lugubriousness: 
"But  the  picter  has  another  side,  Miss  Lucy!  See 
that  same  locomotive  again  after  a  smash  up  !  One 
cylinder  crushed  and  the  t'other  patched,  and  the 
engine  moovin'  now  like  a  man  with  his  leg  off,  a 
poor,  creepin',  puffin',  pantin',  laboring  lonely  thing ! " 
Then  sinking  before  her  on  his  knees  and  placing 
both  his  hands  on  his  heart,  he  added  : 

"That's    Sam    Slykes,    the    widerer !      And    he    begs 


SAM    SLYKES'    COURTSHIP.  165 

you,  Miss  Neville,  on  his  knees,  he  begs  you  to  be  his 
other  cylinder  through  life,  and  he'll  take  you  on  all 
right,  faster  nor  you  ever  went  along  Thames  or 
Ganges." 

The  girl  expected  to  be  amused.  She  grew  indignant. 
Her  blue  eye  shot  fire  as  she  arose  above  the  bending 
Slykes,  and  looked  down  on  him  with  all  the  disdain 
that  could  blaze  and  scathe  from  the  whole  race  of  the 
Nevilles  and  the  Arlingtons. 

"  Absurd,  Mr.  Slykes  ;  ridiculous  and  disgusting  ;  Miss 
Neville  declines  to  be  the  other  cylinder  with  Mr.  Samuel 
Slykes  in  the  journey  of  life.  The  proposition  casts 
suspicion  on  all  your  intentions.  Sir,  I  now  begin  to 
fear  that  you  have  caused  our  misfortunes  to  take 
advantage  of  them.  You  are  a  villain,  sir  ;  you  are  a 
villain.  Leave  this  house  and  never  enter  it  again." 

Having  spoken  these  words,  she  left  the  room  with 
a  look  of  mingled  disgust  and  dignity. 

All  the  hereditary  pride  of  generations  had  flashed 
and  flamed  into  that  moment,  and  after  she  retired  the 
contemptible  rascal  remained  on  his  knees  as  if  he  had 
been  struck  by  lightning. 

For  the  first  time  in  his  impudent  existence  he  was 
brought  consciously  down  to  the  low  level  of  his  own 
vulgarity.  He  resembled  some  cock  of  inferior  blood, 
who,  intruding  on  the  domain  of  his  superior,  has  lost 
comb,  spurs  and  feathers  in  his  battle,  and  been  left 
sprawling  in  wounds  r and  humiliation. 

Slykes  was  still  on  his  knees  when  Lyman  Risk 
entered  who  at  once  comprehended  the  situation. 


166  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

"What,  Sam,  making  love  to  the  sofa?  Ha!  my 
good  fellow,  does  it  return  your  affection  ?  Better  pillow 
your  head  on  your  bride,  my  boy,  than  kneel  to  her 
in  that  style." 

Slykes  arose,  at  last,  his  natural  self — Sam  Slykes, 
and  nothing  more. 

"Why,  Sam,"  Risk  resumed,  as  his  confederate 
slowly  became  himself  again,  "what's  the  matter? 
You  look  like  my  old  peacock,  sneaking  off  after  some 
hen  turkey  has  pecked  out  his  tail.  Your  fine  feathers 
gone,  at  last,  my  modesty." 

"Fact  Lyman,  I'm  done  for,"  he  whined  out;  "worse 
than  when  my  old  locomotive  bust  a  biler,  and  threw 
me  on  a  bank,  arm  broke,  face  scalded,  head  bruised, 
legs  smashed,  eyes  bunged  and  in  a  mess  generally. 
Yes !  worse  than  death  of  Mr^.  Slykes  and  widder- 
ship,  Lyman.  Sam  Slykes  knocked  to  bits,  burst  to 
flinders,  nothing  left  but  his  smoke  stack,  and  that 
black  and  battered,  I  tell  you  ! " 

"But  what  brought  you  here,  Sam?"  inquired  Risk. 
"You  have  not  told  me  your  errand,  and  I  cannot 
understand  what  you  mean." 

"  I  went  for  the  gal,  Lyman,  and  left  the  widder 
for  you.  I  was  throwd  into  the  mud,  and  left  stick- 
in',  head  down  and  heels  up.  But  now's  your  time, 
Lyman  Risk.  Be  smart  with  the  widder  !  You'll  be 
Lyman  Risk,  Esq.,  Sir  Lyman  Risk,  Baron  Risk,  Lord 

Risk,  Markiss  Risk,    Earl    Risk,    Duke   Risk— among  the 

• 

first    toads    of    the    British    puddle    and    bellowin'    near 
the  queen    frog." 


SAM    SLYKES'    COURTSHIP.  167 

Having  thus  delivered  himself,  Sam  Slykes 
retired  from  the  room,  took  his  hat  and  walked 
from  the  house,  and  in  five  minutes  the  fresh  air 
made  him  Sam  Slykes  again.  The  mercury  of  his 
impudence  was  never  long  rising,  after  an  unexpected 
zero,  to  the  extreme  fever  heat  of  his  vulgar  and 
incurable  assurance.  Risk  was  not  encouraged  by 
what  had  just  happened,  and  yet  had  strong  hopes  of 
success.  He  was  playing  his  last  card.  Black  Friday 
had  blown  all  others  from  his  pack,  and  left  the 
INTER  OCEANIC  RAILWAY  in  a  condition  which  must 
soon  be  made  public  and  bring  destruction.  Another 
month  would  be  ruin.  Risk  was  fascinated  by  the 
woman  and  driven  onward  by  an  energy  inspired  by 
his  terrible  situation,  while  on  her  part  she  had  long 
been  dependent  on  his  services,  was  herself  on  the 
verge  of  blank  poverty,  and  shattered  in  nerves  and 
discouraged  in  soul. 

Mrs.  Neville  entered  the  room,  and  he  arose  to 
meet  her.  It  was  a  crisis  with  them  both.  From 
opposite  regions  of  the  world  the  currents  of  those 
lives  had  flowed  onward  to  this  meeting  point. 
Shall  they  mingle  for  ever  or  shall  they  for  ever 
recoil  and  separate  ?  In  her  plain  attire,  Mrs.  Neville 
was  still  superb  in  her  beauty,  and  you  could  scarcely 
find  in  the  country  a  physically  finer  looking  man 
than  Lyman  Risk. 

The  interview  had  been  arranged  to  settle  the 
question  of  their  marriage,  so  that  there  was  no  need 
of  explanation  or  circumlocution. 


168  KINGS    OF    CAPITAL. 

Risk  sat  near  her,  and  they  long  conversed  in  sub 
dued  tones. 

He  did  not  dare  to  touch  her  hand,  or  even  her 
person,  but  he  exerted  on  her  weakened  and  exhausted 
nature  the  secret,  but  potent,  energy  of  his  over 
mastering  masculinity.  After  talking  almost  an  hour, 
he  said,  earnestly  : 

"  Mrs.  Neville,  I  think  we  should  now  and  forever 
determine  our  course  toward  each  other.  My  dis 
traction  of  mind  disturbs  everything  in  my  life.  It  is 
a  serious  injury  to  my  business ;  and  you,  surely,  in 
your  loneliness  are  needing  my  sympathy  and  protection." 

"Alone,  with  no  friend  to  consult,  and  no  oppor 
tunity  of  inquiring  about  yourself,  having  my  daughter's 
happiness  to  consider  as  well  as  my  own,  you  will  not 
wonder  that  I  am  bewildered,  and  almost  distracted. 
I  seem,"  she  added,  "  like  a  ship  tossed  about  by  varying 
winds  and  conflicting  tempests,  yet  ever  nearing  some 
fatal  whirlpool." 

"  It  is  this  very  peculiarity  of  your  situation  that 
is  the  most  powerful  argument  which  urges  your 
consent,"  responded  Risk,  with  a  tender  and  con 
straining  energy.  "While  you  will  be  relieved  and 
defended,  our  marriage  will  call  out  in  me  all  that  is 
best.  I  feel  that  it  will  make  me  another  man.  You 
will  refine  me,  you  will  elevate  me,  you  will  save 
me." 

He  arose,  as  he  spoke  these  words  with  an  eloquent 
earnestness.  Mrs.  Neville  replied  in  tears  : 

"Mr.  Risk,  I  am  inclined  to  your  proposal,  and  yet  my 


SAM    SLYKES'    COURTSHIP.  169 

nerves  are  so  lacerated,  and  my  mind  so  wearied  by 
misfortunes,  that  I  am  in  no  proper  condition  to  decide. 
It  appears  to  me  that  we  should  wait  until  my  light 
grows  clear.  A  mistake  would  be  terrible.  Delay 
until  my  judgment  recovers  its  serenity,  and  then  my 
decision  will  be  final." 

"Do  not  postpone  your  answer  again,"  said  Risk, 
stooping  imploringly  towards  her.  "  Do  not,  I  beseech 
you.  Here  is  my  heart !  It  beats  with  love  for  you. 
Here  is  my  breast !  It  will  afford  the  shelter  you  need. 
Here  is  my  arm !  It  will  give  you  defense  and  support. 
I  will  make  your  life  bright  and  happy." 

An  assurance  in  his  tone  gave  him  power.  They 
stood  face  to  face.  Weeping,  she  exclaimed,  in  a 
voice  of  agonizing  doubt. 

"What  shall  I  do?  What,  what,  shall  I  do?  Will 
not  Heaven  tell  me  what  I  shall  do  ?  I  am  afraid  to 
accept  you,  and  afraid  to  reject  you.  It  seems  to  me 
that  under  this  cloud  of  doubt  a  promise  would  not  be 
best." 

The  struggle,  however,  was  speedily  over.  A  woman 
thus  expressing  herself  soon  yields.  She  gave  her 
consent,  reluctant  and  hesitating  —  but  she  gave  it. 
When  the  word  passed  her  lips,  she  would  have  recalled 
it.  It  was  sealed  by  no  kiss.  It  was  followed  by  no 
caress.  It  was  hallowed  by  no  token  of  endearment. 
No  light  was  shining  there.  Rather  all  around  was  the 
shadow  of  a  dubious  darkness.  Risk  bade  her  farewell, 
relieved,  not  happy ;  and  scarcely  had  he  left  her 
presence,  when  she  repented  what  she  had  done,  and 


170  KINGS   OF  CAPITAL. 

threw  herself  on  the  sofa  in  an  agony  of  bewilder 
ment  and  almost  of  despair.  Arising,  she  paced  the 
apartment,  often  sobbing  and  wringing  her  hands 
violently. 

"Yes!  over  me  is  the  shadow  of  a  terrible  doubt! 
Oh !  Oscar,  am  I  false  to  thee  ?  Husband  of  my 
youth,  pity  my  distress !  Forgive,  if  I  mistake ! 
Smile  down  from  Paradise  on  thy  wretched  owife  !  She 
is  urged  forward  to  this  frightful  abyss.  She  pauses, 
draws  back,  returns,  retreats,  and  yet  lingers  again 
over  the  mysterious  chasm  !  My  resources  are  exhausted. 
The  heavens  are  brass,  and  the  earth  iron,  cold,  cold. 
Oh !  how,  how  cold !  Are  these  men  friends  or  plun 
derers  ?  Have  their  artifices  walled  me  round  to  possess 
my  property,  and  does  Risk  now  want  my  person  ? 
Oh,  Poverty,  thou  art  a  strong  leveller  and  a  merci 
less  tyrant !  My  Oscar,  forgive  me  !  Oh,  forgive, 
forgive  !  I  see  thee  stand  so  nobly  on  the  steamer's 
deck !  A  lurch.  Heavens,  thou  art  out  on  the  mad 
billows  !  I  hear  thy  cry  !  I  see  thee  sink  !  Lost  !  to 
me  for  ever  lost  !  Horrible  sight  !  Memory,  burn  my 
heart  no  more,  or  my  brain  will  whirl  in  fire  !  Do  not 
reproach  me,  Osca,r  !  Remember  my  extremity  and  my 
agony  ! " 


CHAPTER  XI. 


DR.     SOLOMON    AND    MRS.    PILKILSON. 

Y  dear,"  said  Judge  Livingstone 
to  his  wife,  "did  you  ever  hear 
of  an  elevated  railway  ? " 

"An  elevated  railway!"  re 
plied  the  lady,  "  Never  !  Of 
course,  it  signifies  a  railway  above  the 
ordinary  level,  but  beyond  this  general 
notion  I  have  no  conception  of  it  what 
ever.  Will  you  explain  it  to  me  ? " 

"  Certainly,"  said  the  Judge  amused  at 
her  bewilderment.  "  I  saw  by  the  morning 
papers,  that  a  charter  had  been  obtained, 
and  that  it  had  been  decided  to  sink  iron 
posts  in  some  of  our  principal  streets  and  avenues,  to 
lay  a  track  supported  by  these,  and  to  rush  people  by 
steam  through  the  air  over  the  tops  of  houses  and  along 
third-story  windows,  across  and  around  our  city.  What 
do  you  think  of  taking  a  ride,  Edna  ?  Will  you  buy  a 
ticket?" 

"Yes,"  answered  Edna,  laughing,  "a  good  many 
tickets.  I  shall  be  delighted  to  be  so  near  the  sky, 
look  down  on  mortals  below  and  feel  that  I  am  flying 
as  fast  as  steam  can  carry  me.  I  believe  in  it,  papa. 


174  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

and  all  young  America  will  agree  with  me.  You  will 
find  such  a  railway  immensely  popular." 

"No  doubt,"  replied  Mrs.  Livingstone,  "Edna  is 
right  in  saying  that  it  will  have  the  favor  and  support 
of  the  public.  But  will  it  not  darken  and  obstruct  our 
streets,  and  deafen  us  with  the  roar  and  rattle  of 
wheels  ?  It  seems  to  me  that  we  will  have  to  scream 
when  we  shop ;  stop  our  ears  when  we  walk ;  strain 
our  voices,  crack  our  throats,  and  become  hardened  and 
roughened  by  noise,  rush  and  excitement." 

"Besides,"  continued  Edna,  "I  should  prefer  not  to 
be  on  a  sick  bed,  with  a  train  thundering  by  my  win 
dow  and  shaking  the  floors  and  walls  of  the  house. 
I  must  confess,  with  all  my  partiality  for  the  scheme, 
that  it  would  be  hard  for  weak  nerves,  and  almost 
insufferable  for  the  neighborhood.  But  if  young 
America  wants  to  fly,  he  don't  care  who  pays  for  the 
wings." 

"You  joke,  Edna,"  said  the  Judge,  seriously;  "yet, 
after  all,  you  have  touched  the  true  objections.  Such 
an  enterprise  is  an  injustice.  It  will,  indeed,  be  delight 
ful  and  exhilarating  to  have  so  swift  and  lofty  a  race, 
and  feel  that  sense  of  power  and  superiority  so  agree 
able  to  us  Republicans.  But  the  injury  to  property 
will  be  enormous  and  beyond  any  possible  compensa 
tion.  Every  post  will  be  planted  in  wrong ;  every 
train  will  rush  over  ruined  rights  and  wrecked  estates, 
and  its  thunders  will  excite  in  men  tempests  of  indig 
nation  and  revenge.  No  European  city  would  tolerate 
such  a  scheme.  It  would  hurl  down  any  throne  in 


DR.    SOLOMON    AND    MRS.     PILKILSON.  175 

Europe,    except     the     Czar's,     and     shake    that     if     the 
Nihilists  prosper." 

"  Why,  papa,"  cried  Edna,  in  her  merry,  ringing  voice, 
"  you  are  turning  monarchist.  We  shall  be  swearing 
allegiance  to  Queen  Victoria  yet.  On  what  street  shall 
we  live  in  London  ?" 

"Not  so  fast,  daughter,"  said  the  Judge,  smiling,  as 
his  indignation  expended  itself.  "  We  are  not  quite 
ready  for  Belgravia.  I  never  loved  my  country  so 
well  and  never  had  such  faith  in  her  mission  and  her 
future.  But  I  do  her  most  service  by  discriminating 
between  her  faults  and  her  virtues.  It  is  my  work 
in  life  to  fight  villainy  and  promote  justice,  however 
great  the  trouble,  or  the  peril." 

"  Do  you  think  such  a  railway  would  be  long  toler 
ated  ? "  inquired  Mrs.  Livingstone.  "  It  seems  to  me 
that  it  would  be  unnatural  and  fall  finally  by  its 
own  weight." 

"This  is  my  own  opinion,"  said  the  Judge,  thought 
fully.  "  Perhaps  it  would  stand  for  years.  But  I 
should  fear  accidents.  Suppose  a  train  should  leap  a 
track,  crash  through  a  wall,  set  a  house  on  fire, 
explode  a  boiler  and  scatter  around  flames,  ruin  and 
death  !  Such  a  catastrophe  might  end  the  enterprise. 
Still,  I  foresee  that  the  ELEVATED  RAILWAY  will  have 
its  day.  It  will  be  for  years  a  great  popular  success. 
But  at  last  will  be  heard  the  rumble  of  powder  in 
the  rocks  below  our  streets.  We  will  dig  an  honest 
tunnel  beneath  our  city,  and  take  our  honest  ride  by 
honest  gaslight,  and  if  not  so  fast  and  jolly  a  people, 


176  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

we  will    be  more  sensible  and  reliable,   and    wonder  at 
our  past    frolics   in  the   air." 

While  the  Judge  was  speaking,  Frank  entered  the 
room  with  an  unusually  sober  face.  He  held  the 
evening  paper  in  his  hand,  and  was  evidently  reflect 
ing  on  what  he  had  been  reading. 

"Why  Frank,"  said  Edna,  merrily,  "what  has 
happened  ?  Instead  of  an  aspiring  young  lawyer, 
with  bright  prospects  before  him,  you  look  serious  as 
a  judge  who  has  been  on  the  bench  ten  years,  and 
doubts  his  re-election  by  our  Sovereigns." 

"And  I  have  good  reason  to  be  serious,"  said 
Frank,  becoming  excited  as  he  spoke.  "  You  will  feel 
as  sober  as  I  look  when  you  hear  the  evening  news. 
Father,  please  read  that,"  he  exclaimed,  while  his  eye 
flashed. 

The  Judge  took  the  extended  paper,  cast  his  eyes 
hastily  over  the  columns,  arrested  his  gaze  for  an  in 
stant,  and  then  burst  out  with  violent  indignation : 

"  The  infamous  INTER  OCEANIC  RAILWAY  ACT  has 
passed.  All  our  efforts  have  failed.  We  shall  be 
driven  out  of  this  house." 

"Impossible!"  cried  Mrs.  Livingstone;  "such  injus 
tice  is  impossible." 

"What  can  you  mean,  papa?"  exclaimed  Edna,  in  a 
state  of  mingled  alarm  and  confusion.  "Be  driven 
out  of  our  own  house  in  which  Frank  and  I  were 
born,  and  where  our  ancestors  have  lived  for  so  many 
generations  ! " 

"Just  what   I  mean,   my   daughter,"   said  the   Judge, 


DR.     SOLOMON    AND    MRS.     PILKILSON.  177 

with  suppressed  anger.  "  My  blood  boils  at  the 
thought.  Our  home  is  to  be  confiscated  by  a  legis 
lative  act  to  make  place  for  a  vast  addition  to  the 
grounds  and  depot  of  the  INTER  OCEANIC  RAILWAY." 

"What  we  all  expected,"  cried  Frank,  in  a  storm 
of  passion.  "The  nominating  convention  was  bribed; 
the  voters  were  bribed ;  the  legislators  were  bribed ; 
even  the  Judges  and  the  Executive  were  bribed.  '  We 
have  resisted  the  corrupt  and  overshadowing  monopoly 
at  every  step.  So  far  it  has  beaten  us ;  but  I  will 
never  quit  the  fight  until  I  see  its  ruin." 

"  There  spoke  a  Livingstone,  my  son,"  said  the 
Judge,  with  a  gleam  of  pleasure  and  triumph.  "  I 
pledge  myself  with  you  in  the  battle.  In  the  end 
victory  will  be  ours.  Still,  our  house  will  have  to  be 
surrendered  to  the  robbers." 

"Our  house!  Mr.  Livingstone!  This  house!  this 
place,  sacred  in  our  hearts,  and  endeared  by  so  many 
family  histories  and  recollections  !  Surely  you  jest  or 
dream,"  said  Mrs.  Livingstone,  in  utter  wonder. 

"  Neither  one  nor  the  other,  my  dear,"  replied  the 
Judge.  "  For  have  I,  just  now,  any  special  disposition 
for  jokes  or  fancies.  Here  have  the  Livingstones 
been  born  and  have  died  for  generations.  Wash 
ington,  Jefferson,  Jay,  Hamilton,  and  other  founders 
of  our  Government,  have  often  been  under  this 
roof.  No  American  home  is  hallowed  by  so  many 
historical  associations.  Behold  that  picture  of  my 
father !  I  almost  see  indignation  burn  on  those 
features  at  the  thought  of  being  taken  down  and  borne 


178  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

away  at  the  command  of  public  plunderers.  This  old 
furniture  will  be  carried  out.  These  old  walls  will  be 
torn  down.  Even  the  old  foundations  will  be  removed. 
Over  the  ruins  of  our  home  will  rise  the  GRAND  INTER 
OCEANIC  DEPOT.  The  locomotive  will  soon  be  hissing 
and  screaming  on  the  very  spot  where  we  are  now 
talking." 

Mrs.  Livingstone  began  to  comprehend  the  facts. 
At  first,  the  result  seemed  incredible.  Her  vivid 
woman's  fancy  now  pictured  the  dismantled  dwelling, 
and  towering  over  the  consecrated  place  a  gigantic 
edifice  erected  by  fraud  and  tyranny.  She  exclaimed  : 

"And  this  is  liberty!  That  of  robbers  to  take  what 
they  will.  Our  land  is  called  a  refuge  from  oppression. 
Here  are  worse  than  European  tyrannies.  We  still 
boast  that  over  our  soil  float  the  stars  which  waved 
above  heroes.  They  are  dimmed  and  darkened  by  a 
midnight  of  fraud,  black  as  the  gloom  of  the  civil 
war.  Yet,  I  trust  in  Heaven.  Deliverance  will  come 
for  this  fair  and  noble  land.  Our  country,  hallowed 
by  the  blood  of  martyrs,  will  never  be  cast  out  like  a 
carcass,  and  devoured  by  birds  of  prey.  Stand  by 
her,  my  husband  and  my  son  !  Stand  by  her  in  every 
extremity  !  Light  will  come  !  Truth  will  triumph  ! 
Our  flag  will  float  over  not  only  a  united  but  a  pure 
and  Christian  people." 

This  eloquence  thrilled  every  heart.  Mrs.  Living 
stone,  as  she  spoke,  seemed  to  glow  again  into  the 
beauty  of  her  youth.  Her  presence  was  majestic,  and 
.her  words  never  to  be  forgotten.  Indeed,  their  influ- 


DR.     SOLOMON    AND    MRS.     PILKILSON.  179 

ence  was  destined  to  extend  beyond  the  sanctities  of 
that  home,  and  be  left  on  the  country  forever.  Yes  ! 
in  that  hour,  woman's  faith  kindled  an  unquenchable 
flame,  and  led  onward  to  a  noble  victory.  It  was  a 
crisis  in  the  history  of  the  nation  which  seemed  sink 
ing  in  a  sea  of  corruption.  The  triumph  of  the 
INTER  OCEANIC  RAILWAY  would  have  perpetuated  the 
reign  of  fraud  for  generations. 

Judge  Livingstone  and  Frank  Livingstone  were  to 
be  the  saviors  of  the  country,  and  it  was  the  courage 
of  this  wife  and  mother  which,  in  an  hour  of 
extremity,  inspired  them  for  the  battle. 

But  the  solemn  grandeur  of  this  domestic  scene 
was  now  suddenly  and  boisterously  disturbed  by  numer 
ous  quick,  nervous  jerks  at  the  door-bell. 

"  Why,"  exlaimed  the  Judge,  "  who  can  be  at  the 
door  ?  That  bell  seems  jerked  by  a  madman.  Worse 
and  worse  !  Surely  some  excited  spirits  are  frolicking 
with  our  wires." 

The  noise  ceased  and  was  followed  by  a  hush  of 
expectation.  Soon,  through  the  open  door,  came  two 
persons,  whom  it  becomes  our  duty,  as  faithful  chron 
iclers  of  those  times,  to  describe. 

Dr.  Solomon  Pilkilson  and  Mrs.  Dorothea  Pilkilson 
were  coming  down  the  farther  extremity  of  the  Living 
stone  drawing-room. 

That  gentleman  was  enormous  in  all  his  proportions. 
His  stature  was  gigantic,  and  his  corpulent  rotundity 
swelled  out  like  a  hogshead.  His  mouth  seemed  from 
ear  to  ear ;  his  nose  was  wide,  long  and  round  below  to 


180  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

beefiness  ;  his  cheeks  protuberant  :  his  forehead  broad, 
red  and  high ;  his  eyes  small,  deep-set,  gray,  and 
twinkling  beneath  huge,  overhanging,  shaggy  brows, 
while  his  feet  and  hands  were  almost  hideous  in  their 
vast  unsightliness.  About  his  back  and  breast  was  a 
great,  grizzled  overcoat,  hanging  with  armless  sleeves, 
as  if  thrown  on  in  haste,  and  greatly  increasing  his 
appearance  of  ponderous  magnitude.  When  he  laughed, 
his  elephantine  ears  moved  and  flapped  with  an  ele 
phantine  peculiarity.  He  looked  like  a  man  who  could 
devour  a  beef  and  empty  a  beer-barrel  in  the  least  pos 
sible  time  and  with  the  greatest  possible  satisfaction. 
Above  his  overcoat  was  a  shawl,  and  around  his  throat 
a  heavy  woolen  scarf.  His  large  winter  gloves  and 
huge  overshoes  did  not  detract  from  your  estimate  of 
his  size.  Good  nature  beamed  over  his  great  face,  while 
cunning  twinkled  in  his  small,  restless,  piercing  eyes. 

Mrs.  Dorothea  Pilkilson  was  a  feminine  Dr.  Solomon 
Pilkilson,  pressed  down  into  a  lower  stature  and  propor 
tionally  bulged  out  in  breadth,  with  a  pug  nose  in  the 
midst  of  her  broad  face,  and  in  all  respects  precisely 
the  wife  for  a  husband  she  loved  and  adored.  Arm- 
in-arm  they  resembled  two  of  their  own  largest  pill- 
barrels,  moving  or  rather  rolling  down  the  room. 

When  the  mighty  pair,  panting,  puffing,  and  per 
spiring,  reached  the  Livingstone  group,  they  stood  a 
moment  in  all  their  gigantic  redness,  width,  and 
height.  Then,  as  from  the  depths  of  a  human  hogshead, 
issued  a  loud  and  grating  voice  the  ear  never  more 
forgot,  but  which  the  pen  fails  to  describe. 


DR.     SOLOMON    AND    MRS.     PILKILSON.  181 

" Good-evening,  Judge  Livingstone  and  Mr.  Frank! 
Excuse  me  for  coming  at  this  hour  and  to  your  house 
instead  of  your  office.  Let  me  present  my  wife,  Mrs. 
Solomon  Pilkilson  ! " 

The  two  gentlemen  bowed  and  shook  the  pon 
derous  hands  of  the  great  physician  and  his  wife. 

"  Let  me  now  present  you,"  said  the  Judge  to  his 
huge  client  and  his  spouse,  "to  Mrs.  Livingstone  and 
my  daughter,  Miss  Edna.  My  son,  I  believe,  you 
both  know." 

Mrs.  Solomon  Pilkilson  seemed  for  a  moment  con 
fused.  She  was  evidently  making  a  heavy  draft  upon 
her  memory.  She  has  it !  A  recollection,  flashing 
over  her,  illuminates  her  features,  and  she  bursts  out 
in  a  coarse,  unfeminine  voice,  full  of  honest  good 
nature  : 

"  La,  I  remember  now  !  Dr.  Solomon  and  me  was 
driving  out  in  our  dog-cart  in  the  park,  when  the 
horse  scared,  and  spilled  us  out  in  a  heap.  You're  the 
very  young  gentleman  what  helped  me  get  up,  sat  Dr. 
Solomon  on  his  legs,  and  druv  us  home  in  your 
carriage.  We  shall  be  quite  at  home  here,  now. 
Dr.  Solomon,  let  me  take  that  shawl  off  your  face ! 
I'll  hold  your  gloves.  He's  hotter  nor  a  kitchen  range 
or  a  patent  furnace.  I  bundled  him  up  to  keep  the 
cold  out.  Don't  be  excited,  Dr.  Solomon,  I'll  fan 
you." 

She  removed  the  shawl ;  she  held  the  gloves ;  she 
plied  the  fan,  not  with  the  grace  of  a  Diana,  but 
with  a  heartiness  which  evinced  her  affectionate  idol- 


182  KINGS  OF  CAPITAL. 

atry  towards  the  great  physician.  Nor  for  one  moment 
during  the  interview  did  she  relax  the  fury  of  her 
exertions. 

Judge     Livingstone     perceived     that    there     was     an 
unusual  tempest  stirring  his    magnitudinous    old    client. 

"My  good  doctor,"  he  said,  "what  has  happened 
to  disturb  you  so  violently  ? " 

"  Happened,  Judge  !  Happened,  did  you  say  ?  "  he 
magnificently  inquired.  "  Look  on  your  table  !  Before 
your  very  eyes,  as  we  doctors  say  professionally,  is 
the  excitin'  cause  of  my  nervous  irritability  and  the 
stimulant  to  the  heated  action  of  my  venous  and 
arterial  blood." 

"On  my  table,  Doctor,"  said  the  Judge  in  surprise. 
"  On  my  table.  I  cannot  understand  you.  I  did  not 
think  that  in  all  my  house  there  could  be  anything 
offensive  to  you." 

"  Yes,  Judge,  I  say,  yes  ! "  he  exclaimed  with 
emphasis  and  rising  excitement.  "  No  fault  of  yours. 
Yet,  on  that  table  lies  what  has  stirred  my  heart, 
riled  my  liver,  fired  my  blood,  and  made  my  system 
fulminate  like  a  barrel  of  dynamite.  In  that  Evening 
Gazette  is  the  spark  that  exploded  me.  The  INTER 
OCEANIC  CONFISCATION  ACT,  that  is  to  tear  away  my 
palatial  manshun — that  has  fired  me  up  worse  than 
when  they  counterfeit  my  pill-labels,  and  sell  under 
my  name  their  quack  mixtures  :  injurin'  society, 
enfeeblin'  human  constitutions,  and  affectin'  the  busi 
ness  and  the  reputation  of  Dr.  Solomon  Pilkilson,  and 
makin'  him  tremble  from  his  shirt-bosom  down  through 


DR.     SOLOMON    AND    MRS.     PILKILSON.  183 

his  pockets  to  the  skirts  of  his  coats  and  other  gar 
ments." 

"It  is,  indeed,  a  trial  to  all  honest  men,"  replied 
the  Judge.  "  We,  ourselves,  are  fellow  sufferers,  and 
are  to  be  expelled  from  the  house  of  our  fathers.  The 
law  is  infamous ;  but,  for  the  present,  villains  must 
triumph.  We  must  fight  these  fellows,  however,  until 
we  conquer  and  make  their  rascally  corporation  known 
in  history  as  the  'BROKEN  RING.'" 

"  My  father  and  myself,"  cried  Frank,  with  enthu 
siasm,  "  have  to-night  renewed  our  vows  of  devotion  to 
our  cause  and  country.  The  ladies  share  our  spirit, 
and  help  us  by  their  faith  and  courage.  Our  family 
stands  united  and  we  expect  to  triumph." 

These  words  rekindled  the  whole  group.  Mrs. 
Pilkilson  grinned  and  shook  with  her  huge,  honest 
delight.  She  burst  out  : 

"  We'll  jine  you,  Judge  ;  we'll  jine  you,  Mr.  Frank  ; 
we'll  jine  you,  ladies.  We'll  jine  you  with  our  words  ; 
we'll  jine  you  with  our  deeds ;  we'll  jine  you  with 
our  money  ;  we'll  jine  you  with  our  hearts  and  heads. 
We'll  jine  you,  yes,  with  the  last  pill." 

Dr.  Pilkilson  caught  the  flame.  He  could  no 
longer  sit,  but,  suddenly  rising,  threw  down  the 
gloves,  shawl  and  the  fan,  held  by  Mrs.  Solomon,  and, 
as  she  stooped  to  pick  up  the  scattered  articles,  Dr. 
Solomon  Pilkilson  cleared  his  throat,  blew  his  nose, 
and  made  sundry  other  oratorical  preparations.  With 
his  gruff  voice  and  the  most  earnest  expression  in 
face,  eye  and  gesture,  he  made  his  whole  gigantic 


134  KINGS  OF  CAPITAL. 

person  tremble  with  the  deep  roar  of  his  guttural 
eloquence,  and  delivered  a  speech,  which  will  be 
remembered  with  the  grander  efforts  of  Demosthenes, 
Cicero  and  Daniel  Webster. 

"Yes,  Mrs.  Solomon,"  he  began,  "  to  the  very  last 
pill.  My  father,  Judge,  was  a  vetrinary  physician 
and  a  vaccinery  surgent,  and,  by  the  shades  of  all 
the  patients  he  bled,  purged,  and  mended,  I'll  give 
my  profeshnul  talents  and  my  parsonal  energies  and 
my  public  influence  to  the  task  of  expurgatin'  these 
varments  gnawin'  on  the  vitals  of  our  country, 
and  of  dispellin'  out  the  pisin  from  the  corrupted 
veins  and  arteries  of  the  diseased  body  politic.  Yes  ; 
truly,  Mrs.  Solomon,  that  sentiment  was  healthful.  I 
agree  with  you.  I,  too,  am  in  to  the  last  pill.  Pills 
made  me  what  I  am.  Pills  brought  me  to  this 
expandin'  Metropolis.  Pills  made  my  bank  stocks,  my 
railway  securities,  my  minin'  shares.  Pills  built  my 
magnificent  store  and  erected  and  furnished  my  spa- 
^cious,  ample,  and  elegant  manshun.  Pills  bought  my 
carts,  wagons,  sleighs,  buggies,  carriages  and  other 
vehicles.  Pills  feeds  my  wife,  cook,  coachman,  foot 
man,  gardener,  children  and  other  servants,  besides 
numerous  widows  and  orphans.  Pills  have  advertised 
my  name  over  this  planet,  and  placed  in  grand  and 
even  sublime  proportions  the  phiz  and  figger  of  Dr. 
Solomon  Pilkinson  over  the  roarin'  Niagra,  the  blus- 
terin'  Atlantic  and  sleepin'  Pacific,  on  rocks,  roofs, 
fences,  sign-boards,  rails,  stables,  stakes  and  curb-stones, 
and  even  over  walkin'  men  and  women  and  numerous 


DR.    SOLOMON    AND   MRS.    PILKILSON.  185 

city  wagons,  on  mountains,  down  valleys,  acrost  plains 
and  prairies — yes,  fernentz  the  very  temple  of  St. 
Peter's  in  the  Etarnal  City.  Pills  is  to  me  clothes, 
house,  food,  fame,  flesh,  fortune  in  this  life,  and  after 
death  under  the  shadow  of  a  Pill  on  the  top  of  my 
mausolyum  will  sleep  the  dust  and  bones  of  Dr.  Solo 
mon  Pilkilson." 

"  Why,  Doctor,  "  interrupted  the  Judge,  with  seeming 
surprise,  "  I  thought  that  globe  on  your  monument 
in  the  city  of  the  dead  represented  your  world-wide 
reputation." 

"For  once  and  only  once,  mistaken,  my  learned 
friend,"  he  replied,  with  solemn  emphasis.  "A  pill;  the 
pill !  I  may  say,  last  pill,  a  sign  for  the  dead  and 
an  advertisement  for  the  living — useful  and  orna 
mental — an  emblem  of  my  profeshun  and  a  proclama 
tion  of  my  business — and  yet  I'll  sell  that  monumental 
pill,  and  that  monumental  pile,  rather  than  we  shall 
want  a  dollar  to  swamp  this  pluriderm'  Railway." 

"  While  Dr.  Solomon  Pilkilson  was  discoursing  with 
such  characteristic  eloquence,  there  was  another  inter 
ruption  from  the  region  of  the  front  door,  which 
caused  Judge  Livingstone  to  say. 

"  I  am  sorry,  sir,  that  this  noble  burst  of  patriotic 
and  professional  indignation  has  been  interrupted  in  so 
loud  and  unpleasant  a  manner.  Our  very  bells  seem 
maddened  by  our  wrongs." 

The  Judge  had  scarcely  spoken  these  words,  when 
Mr.  Samuel  Slykes  appeared  at  the  door,  and  not  in 
the  least  diminished  in  his  effrontery  by  any  of  his 


186  KINGS   OF  CAPITAL. 

recent  experiences.  He  moved  down  the  drawing-room 
with  the  most  brazen  assurance,  and,  standing  before 
the  group,  nodded  his  head  in  a  patronizing  style, 
saying  : 

"  Good-evenin',  gentlemen  and  ladies— fine  speech, 
Dr.  Solomon,  as  the  stoker  said  to  the  steam  whistle 
when  it  called  him  to  dinner.  Honest  sentiments  and 
weighty  as  a  forty  ton  locomotive— hard  on  the  INTER 
OCEANIC,  but  she  can  stand  the  abuse  on  her  own 
property." 

"  Her  own  property,  sir,"  exclaimed  the  Judge,, 
stirred  into  sudden  storm ;  "do  you  insult  me  in 
my  own  house  by  claiming  it  for  that  rascally 
corporation  ?  The  impudence  is  intolerable.  If  you 
are  an  agent  of  that  devouring  monster,  let  me  inform 
you  that  my  office  and  not  my  parlor  is  the  place 
where  I  transact  my  business." 

"All  right,  Judge,"  said  the  unabashed  Slykes ;  "will 
call  there  next  time— preferred  the  first  interview  at 
your  home — wanted  to  see  how  property  looked;  found 
Dr.  Solomon  was  here,  and  concluded  to  serve  notice 
on  you  together  and  save  time." 

"Serve  me!"  cried  the  Judge,  with  tempestuous 
anger.  "You  do  not  mean  to  say  that  at  this  hour, 
and  in  this  parlor,  you  have  come  to  give  me  notice 
to  quit  my  own  premises  ?  You  dare  not  carry  your 
impudence  so  far  !  "  , 

"  No  offence  intended,  Judge,"  said  Slykes,  taking 
two  papers  from  his  pocket,  and  examining  them  for 
an  instant.  "Here's  documents  for  you  and  Pilkilson  ; 


DR.     SOLOMON    AND    MRS.     PILKILSON.  18? 

so  long  as  you're  served,  what's  the  difference  ?  If  the 
boiler  makes  steam,  it  doesn't  ask  what  wood's  in  the 
fire." 

"But,  Mr.  Slykes,  I  positively  decline  being  served 
here,  and  if  you  persist,  will  order  you  from  my 
house,"  exclaimed  the  Judge,  with  increased  indig 
nation  and  a  more  irate  emphasis. 

"  Can't  help  it,  sir,"  Slykes  replied,  with  a  face 
hard  as  the  brass  of  a  locomotive.  "The  INTER 
OCEANIC  my  first  duty — here  are  the  two  papers — one 
for  you  and  the  other  for  the  Doctor.  If  you  don't 
receive  them,  will  read  them  and  leave  the  premises." 

"You  shall  not  read  them,  sir,"  cried  Judge 
Livingstone,  rising.  "  I  forbid  you.  If  you  do  not 
leave  my  house  I  will  call  my  servants  and  order  them 
to  thrust  you  from  the  door." 

Frank  Livingstone  now  leaped  from  his  chair  and 
approached  Slykes  to  enforce  his  father's  threat, 
saying  : 

"You  villain;  this  is  unendurable;  leave  this  room; 
there  is  the  door ;  leave  instantly ;  leave,  I  say  leave, 
or  you  will  be  sorry  while  you  live  for  every  moment 
you  remain."^ 

The  ponderous  frame  of  Dr.  Solomon  Pilkilson  was 
now  seen  slowly  lifting  itself  from  the  chair,  when 
Mrs.  Pilkilson,  bursting  into  a  blaze,  anticipated  her 
husband  by  yelling  out,  with  appropriate  gestures,  the 
following  not  very  refined  words  : 

"  Sarve  us,  if  you  dare.  Get  out,  you  varmin ! 
Clear  off  or  I  will  be  in  your  hair ;  I'll  tear  you  into 


188  KINGS  OF  CAPITAL. 

bits;      I'll  crush  you    like  a  cockroach;      I'll  mash  you 
like    a  musketer." 

Slykes  saw  that  the  physical  and  moral  power  were 
against  him.  He  retreated,  but  was  not  vanquished. 
Closing  and  then  locking  the  parlor  door,  he  stood  in 
the  hall,  master  of  the  situation,  leaving  the  Judge 
and  his  party  prisoners  within  and  burning  with  indig 
nation.  He  now  lifted  up  his  voice  and,  with  shrill 
impudence,  read  this  provoking  notice  in  the  following 
terms : 

"Henry  Livingstone  and  Solomon  Pilkilson  are 
hereby  notified  that  the  INTER  OCEANIC  RAILWAY  is 
empowered  by  an  Act  of  Legislature  to  seize  and 
use  their  dwellings,  and  the  land  on  which  they  are 
erected,  for  its  new  depot,  and  they  are  required  to 
vacate  the  premises  in  ten  days  from  this  date." 

Then,   to  a'ggravate  the  insult,   the  rascal  cried : 

"Sam  Slykes  won't  forget  this  treatment.  Good-by, 
ladies  and  gentlemen  !  May  you  have  a  pleasin'  intro 
duction  to  our  new  grand  INTER  OCEANIC  DEPOT  !  You 
must  soon  leave  our  premises  like  hot  steam  from  a 
safety-valve.  So  put  on  the  brakes,  and  stop  your 
infernal  scoldin'.  Good-by,  old  Hospitality  ! " 

Slykes  now  went  to  the  hall-door  and  opened  it  so 
as  to  leave  a  way  to  retreat.  He  then  put  on  his  hat 
and  gloves  with  the  utmost  deliberation,  and,  unlocking 
the  parlor-door,  and  thrusting  it  sufficiently  ajar,  flung 
in  the  notices  on  the  floor.  After  this  performance  he 
left  with  all  convenient  speed.  This  farewell  impudence 
raised  indignation  into  rage.  Passion,  however,  was 


DR.     SOLOMON    AND    MRS.    PILKILSON. 


189 


soon  followed  by  a  sense  of  the  ludicrous  in    the    gro 
tesque   scene,   and   Judge   Livingstone,   laughing,    said : 

"What  a  curious  mixture  of  farce  and  fight!  How 
nearly  the  most  opposite  feelings  of  human  nature  lie 
together,  like  the  smile  and  the  tear  which  express 
them  !  We  laugh  and  we  rage  in  the  same  moment.  I 
mourn  over  the  degradation  of  my  country  and  ridicule 
the  instruments  of  her  humiliation.  Yet,  in  the  excite 
ment  we  now  feel,  I  perceive  the  indications  of  a  rising 
popular  tempest,  destined  to  purify  our  social  and 
political  atmosphere  and  sweep  from  the  earth  colossal 
corruptions  reared  by  private  fraud  and  corporate  vil- 
lany." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

LYMAN    RISK'S    MARRIAGE. 


HE  two  women,  were  merry  that 
morning.  It  was  as  if  the  lark 
and  the  robin  had  formed  an 
alliance  of  song  and  of  joy  to  make 
field  and  wood  musical.  Their  room 
was  fragrant  and  beautiful  with  flowers. 
A  decanter  of  wine  stood  glittering  in 
the  light.  Every  preparation  had  been 
made  for  a  day  of  private  festal  delight. 
"Jane  Slag,"  inquired  Olive  Neilson, 
"didn't  I  hit  him  harder  than  ever?  I 
seemed  to  myself  on  the  stage  last  night 
like  a  human  porcupine  letting  arrows  fly 
in  every  direction  and  each  tipped  with  the  flame  of 
poison." 

"  Olive,"  replied  Jane,  "  you  never  before  approached 
last  night's  performance.  Every  part  of  that  little 
body  talked,  laughed  and  blazed.  It  was  wonderful. 
The  house  clapped,  yelled,  roared  in  an  ecstacy  of 
surprise,  delight  and  admiration.  Never  will  the  muse 
of  tragedy  suffer  the  night  to  'be  forgotten." 

"I  felt  it  in  me,  Jane,"    the  actress  resumed,  "and  it 
had    to    come    out.        It  was    all    reality ;  nothing  was 


LYMAN    RISK'S    MARRIAGE.  191 

simulated.  It  was  feeling  rather  than  acting,  and 
word,  tone,  face  and  gesture  were  the  true  interpreters 
of  my  soul.  Some  destiny  was  blazing  in  me.  My 
spirit  seemed  fire  darting  light  into  others.  And  when 
I  made  allusion  to  him,  hate  inspired  me  with  an 
overmastering  power.  I  must  have  spoken  and  acted 
like  a  fiend.  Oh,  it  was  a  glorious  triumph." 

Yes,  it  was  !  Olive  Neilson  was  a  genius.  In  her 
the  histrionic  art  had  found  its  feminine  ideal.  In 
the  pleasure  she  expressed  were  neither  vanity  nor 
pride.  Her  genius  bubbled  and  sparkled  unconscious 
as  a  fountain  or  a  star.  She  now  danced  and 
pranced,  and  leaped  and  laughed  at  the  recollections  of 
the  evening,  until  the  thought  of  him  spread  a  cloud 
over  her  countenance. 

After  a  brief  but  painful  pause,  Jane  abruptly 
asked  : 

"And  what  did  you  think  of  my  last  article  in 
Woman's  Rights  ?  " 

The  face  of  Olive  Neilson  changed  instantly  into 
light.  It  was  like  a  shadow  lifted  from  a  landscape. 
Laughing  and  clapping  her  hands  airily  and  gracefully 
she  said  : 

"Capital!  splendid!  masterly!  a  credit  to  our  sex. 
You  exceeded  yourself.  No  masculine  performance  in 
America  ever  approached  the  vigor  and  originality  of 
Jane  Slag's  leader  of  yesterday.  It  sparkled  with  wit, 
and  bristled  with  argument.  How  you  hit  him  !  Every 
shaft  tipped  with  fire  !  May  the  points  pierce  and 
burn  until  he  ends  his  miserable  existence  by  suicide." 


192  KINGS  OF  CAPITAL. 

The  two  women  capered  and  exulted  like  a  pair  of 
happy  lunatics.  They  kissed,  they  smiled,  they  laughed, 
they  embraced.  Why  not?  It  was  their  way  and 
day  of  joy. 

The  two  women  sat  down  to  their  coffee  after  the 
excitements  of  their  exuberant  delight. 

''And  you  saw  them,  Olive?"  inquired  her  friend, 
with  an  expression  of  doubt.  "Yes,"  answered  the 
actress  with  a  world  of  significance  in  look  and  nod ; 
"I  saw  them  both!" 

"  Tell  me  what  they  are  like,"  said  Jane,  sipping 
her  coffee,  and  then  putting  down  her  cup  and  bending 
toward  Olive  a  keen,  fierce,  inquiring  gaze  that  made 
her  gray  eye  have  the  glance  of  an  eagle. 

"The  elder/'  replied  Olive,  "resembled  a  queen  and 
the  younger  a  princess.  Both  are  superb  in  their  English 
beauty,  although  plain  in  their  attire  and  pale  with 
sorrow.  They  looked  as  if  they  ought  to  live  among 
kings  and  nobles,  and  inspired  me  with  the  deepest 
admiration  and  respect.  There  is  some  secret  in  their 
history." 

"But  how,"  inquired  Jane,  "could  you  gain  access 
to  them  after  so  many  failures  ?" 

"By  persistence,"  answered  Olive;  "persistence,"  she 
repeated,  with  her  histrionic  emphasis,  "that  key  to  all 
success  and  even  heaven  itself.  First,  I  assumed  the 
guise  of  a  female  bookseller  and  failed.  Then  I  resolved 
to  change  my  dress  and  occupation  until  I  succeeded. 
Finally,  after  repeated  repulses,  a  needle  unlocked  the 
door." 


LYMAN    RISK'S    MARRIAGE.  193 

"A  needle?"  exclaimed  Jane,  in  a  voice  of  amused 
wonder;  "you  surely  jest;  explain  to  me  your  mean 
ing." 

"Yes,"  replied  Olive,  smiling;  "a  needle  was  my 
key,  but  I  did  not  place  it  in  the  lock  and  turn  the 
bolt.  The  ladies  happened  to  want  that  small,  pointed 
necessary,  and  so,  when  I  last  presented  myself  with 
my  box,  they  admitted  this  little  imposition  that  they 
might  make  a  purchase.  In  this  way  I  had  an  excel 
lent  view  of  them.  They  are  splendid  women,  mother 
and  daughter.  Imagine  a  mature  crimson  and  a  young 
white  rose  together,  and  you  have  my  conception  of 
their  beauty." 

"  Oh,  how  I  pity  them,"  said  Jane  Slag,  with  a  tear 
in  her  cold  eye ;  "I  would  save  them  if  I  could,  but  it 
is  destiny." 

"Why  should  we  weep?"  exclaimed  Olive  fiercely. 
"  For  me  the  time  for  tears  has  gone.  My  heart  is 
rock  and  winter.  A  drop  would  freeze  on  my  eyelid. 
I  am  flame  only  when  I  think  of  him.  We  have 
watched,  Jane,  and  waited  for  this  day.  Its  hour  has 
struck.  You  have  written  and  I  have  acted  with  one 
burning  purpose  which  has  married  our  lives.  You 
will  see  this  night  what  you  will  remember.  Yes  ! 
the  day  is  here— the  hour  will  come,  and  then  the 
moment.  I  hear  the  note  in  the  air.  It  sounds  like 
doom.  Not  Heaven  stops  the  hammer  when  fate 
ordains  the  stroke.  To-night ;  Jane,  to-night !  Oh, 
to-night  !  You  cannot  now  have  my  secret.  But 
to-night  you  will  see.  You  will  hear,  you  will  never 


194  KINGS  OF  CAPITAL. 

forget !  It  will  live  in  the  history  of  the  city.  It 
will  be  trumpeted  through  the  country.  It  will  be 
flashed  over  the  world.  Nay  !  in  future  times,  it  will 
be  the  theme  of  poets,  novelists  and  orators,  and  thrill 
thousands  on  the  stage.  To-night!  All  is  predeter 
mined,  Jane  ;  It  is  our  destiny  and  his." 

As  Olive  Neilson  spoke,  her  excitement  kindled  her 
into  the  ideal  of  her  own  art. 

The  two  women !  Who  are  they  ?  What  is  the 
meaning  of  this  conversation  ?  What  is  the  secret 
of  their  lives  ?  The  two  women !  They  dwelled 
together  in  the  eighth  story  of  a  lofty  edifice  and 
were  lifted  up  and  dropped  down  by  an  elevator. 

What  a  difference  in  habits  wrought  by  steam ! 
Once  we  lunched  in  the  low,  dark,  damp,  disgusting 
basement,  looking  out  against  ugly  walls,  and  into 
the  gloom  of  black  vaults,  and  breathing  sickening  and 
oppressive  odors.  Now,  magic  transportation  !  Step 
into  an  elevator  !  A  rope  is  touched  !  You  are  lifted 
upward  in  a  steady  ascent,  easily  and  noiselessly,  story 
after  story.  Again  the  touch  of  a  rope;  you  stop  at 
your  desired  floor;  you  step  into  the  hall;  you  move 
toward  a  window.  What  a  view !  You  gaze  over 
the  tops  of  houses;  over  the  bright  bay;  over  the 
towns  and  villages  beyond;  far,  far  away  to  the  green 
fields  and  the  distant  mountains.  Sit  down  now  to 
your  airy  and  inviting  table !  How  refreshing !  You 
are  fanned  by  Summer  breezes  through  the  opened 
windows,  and  surrounded  by  the  clear  light  of  heaven  ! 
Steam  has  lifted  you  from  the  earth  nearer  to  the 


LYMAN    RISK'S    MARRIAGE.  195 

sky,  as  it  is  elevating  humanity  itself  to  a  better  and 
brighter  existence. 

Jane  Slag  and  Olive  Neilson  had  found  this  secret 
of  modern  life,  and  taken  lofty  apartments,  where  they 
could  see  the  sun,  watch  the  clouds,  gaze  over  the 
waters,  and  on  the  mountains,  and  into  the  blue  of 
heaven,  and  freshen  and  brighten  the  lonely  existence 
to  which  they  had  consecrated  themselves. 

Tfie  two  women!      I  will  tell  you  who  they    are. 

Jane  Slag  was  a  plain  girl  and  the  daughter  of  a 
farmer.  She  had  loved,  trusted  and  been  betrayed. 
Coming  to  the  Metropolis,  she  worked,  studied  and 
persisted,  developing  unusual  intellectual  abilities,  and 
at  last  establishing  and  editing  a  weekly  paper  which 
had  become  a  power  in  the  land,  and  which  she  used 
as  a  battering  ram  against  the  lofty  fortifications  of 
the  man,  who  had  left  her  in  her  ruin. 

Olive  Neilson  was  in  every  respect  the  opposite  of 
Jane  Slag.  She  was  the  daughter  of  a  wandering 
Italian  harpist,  and  went  over  the  country  singing  and 
dancing  for  her  father,  until  he  died.  One  day,  she 
was  weeping  under  a  tree,  near  a  road.  A  coach 
rolled  by.  The  driver,  compassionating  her  lonely 
condition,  invited  her  to  ride  on  the  box.  She  con 
sented.  He  afterwards  educated  her,  promised  to 
marry  her  and  then  betrayed  her.  She,  too,  came  to 
the  city;  grew  into  extraordinary  beauty,  and  shone 
as  a  genius  on  the  stage ;  becoming  in  the  Metropolis 
the  celebrity  of  the  hour.  These  were  the  two 
women.  It  was  the  same  man  who  had  taken  advan- 


196  KINGS   OF  CAPITAL. 

tage  of  their  trust.  Since,  they  had  led  lives  of  virtue, 
and  consecrated  themselves  to  overthrow  the  villain 
by  whose  arts  they  had  fallen.  He  was  the  person 
to  whom  they  were  constantly  alluding,  but  never 
with  a  mention  of  his  name,  which,  with  a  feminine 
loathing,  they  avoided,  as  too  infamous  for  their  lips. 

Day  was  wearing  away  and  night  approached. 
The  sun  gleams  across  the  bay  and  sinks  behind  the 
mountains.  Jane  Slag  and  Olive  Neilson  sit  at  a 
window,  gazing  at  the  sails  gliding  like  phantoms 
through  the  evening  gloom.  Venus  fades  in  the  west. 
Now  Jupiter  blazes  forth,  and  Saturn  shines  dimly, 
and  hanging  near  the  Pleiades  is  the  red  light  of 
Mars,  and  soon  the  stars  are  glittering,  and  the  moon 
is  coming  up  out  of  the  waters  with  a  face  cold  as 
destiny,  and  the  two  women  are  warned  that  the  hour 
is  near. 

They  attire  themselves  elegantly  and  with  scrupulous 
care,  and  as  the  elevator  has  ceased  its  daily  journey- 
ings,  they  climb  slowly  down  the  stairs.  See !  they 
have  reached  the  street.  A  splendid  carriage  awaits 
their  descent,  and  soon  they  are  rolling  along  the 
avenue,  whirling  by  houses,  and  flashing  under  gas 
lights,  until,  far  up  into  the  city,  they  stop  before  a 
church.  Entering  together,  they  pass  down  the  aisle, 
and  occupy  a  side  pew  near  the  chancel. 

Evidently  it  is  the  occasion  of  a  great  wedding. 
The  lights  are  yet  dim,  but  you  can  discern,  from 
column  to  column,  the  brilliant  bloom  of  festooning 
flowers.  Roses  blush  in  clusters  on  font,  and  altar, 


LYMAN    RISK'S    MARRIAGE.  197 

and  pulpit,  mingling  their  fragrance  with  the  sweet 
ness  of  mignonette  and  honeysuckle.  The  air  is 
breathing  with  perfume. 

Now  the  crowd  begins  to  assemble.  The  pews  are 
soon  filled.  Even  the  aisles  become  crowded.  A 
bright  blaze  bursts  over  the  church,  and  music  peals 
from  the  organ  the  notes  of  marriage  joy.  At  every 
entrance  people  turn  their  heads  in  expectation.  The 
two  women  gaze  eagerly  toward  the  door.  Attired 
in  his  white  surplice,  the  clergyman  waits  behind  the 
chancel  rail. 

A  loud  rattle  of  wheels;  a  hush  in  the  assembly;  a 
quiet  turning  of  faces,  and  a  flutter  at  the  door. 
Lyman  Risk  comes  down  the  aisle  with  Mrs.  Neville 
on  his  arm,  and  Lucy  at  her  mother's  side — both  pale 
and  agitated. 

They  stand  before  the  clergyman  and  the  solemn 
service  begins.  Nothing  unusual  occurs  until  he 
reaches  the  words:  "Whom  God  has  joined  together, 
let  no  man  put  asunder."  This  sentence  ended,  a 
sound  seemed  to  burst  down  from  the  roof  of  the 
church.  Now  it  moves  along  the  arches  toward  the 
front,  it  lingers  on  the  top  of  the  pillar,  and,  returning 
toward  the  chancel,  is  heard  above  the  altar;  then  it 
shrieks  over  the  head  of  the  bride  and  groom ;  rising, 
sinking,  whispering,  quivering,  thrilling,  screaming, 
roaring,  until  every  part  of  the  edifice,  vocal  with  the 
sounds,  is  repeating,  as  with  an  invisible  and  ubiquit 
ous  tongue,  "Whom  man  hath  joined  together,  God 
will  curse  asunder." 


198  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

The  bride,  screaming  in  agony,  fell  to  the  floor,  and 
her  daughter  knelt  terrrified  at  her  side. 

Lyman  Risk  felt  no  fear,  but  was  kindled  into  an 
inextinguishable  hate  and  rage.  That  voice  wakened 
murder  in  his  soul.  Blood  was  in  it.  He  knew  the 
cause.  Stepping  hastily  toward  Jane  Slag  and  Olive 
Neilson,  he  stooped  and  whispered  fiercely: 

"Stop  this   infernal   noise   or  I   will   kill  you  both." 

There  was  a  moment's  cessation,  but  when  Risk 
turned  away  from  the  two  women  the  sounds  com 
menced  again  with  fresh  vigor  and  variety. 

The  people  began  to  leave  the  house  in  alarm,  and 
the  vast  edifice  was  speedily  empty.  Risk  lifted  Mrs. 
Neville  from  the  floor,  and  bore  her  to  the  carriage, 
followed  by  Lucy.  He  did  not  enter,  but  gave  direc 
tions  that  the  ladies  should  be  driven  to  his  house  on 
the  avenue.  In  the  meantime,  Jane  Slag  and  Olive 
Neilson,  mingling  with  the  retiring  crowd,  disappeared. 

Soon,  however,  they  could  be  seen  in  their  carriage 
driving  furiously  toward  the  great  edifice  in  which 
were  their  lonely  apartments.  Reaching  it,  they 
ascended  in  silent  gloom  the  lofty  stairs,  flight  after 
flight,  and  entering  their  room,  sat  down  without  a 
word. 

A  shadow  from  destiny  was  over  the  place.  The 
stars  were  hid  and  the  moon  was  gone,  and  in  a  low 
dark  cloud  was  a  lightning  glare,  succeeded  by  a 
hoarse  rumble  of  thunder.  Dread,  not  delight  was  in 
the  scene.  The  two  women  had  been  temperate  in 
their  habits  and  correct  in  their  lives.  But  they 


LYMAN    RISK'S    MARRIAGE.  199 

could  not  endure  the  oppression  of  their  hearts.  Seiz 
ing  the  decanter,  they  poured  out  the  sparkling  wine 
and  soon  felt  its  exhilaration.  Here  was  the  inspira 
tion  they  needed,  and  cup  was  drained  after  cup. 

Now  the  two  women  were  happy.  Their  festal  joy 
had  come.  Fierce  triumph  gleamed  from  their  eyes, 
flushed  in  their  cheeks  and  flamed  in  their  tongues. 
They  drank  to  Lyman  Risk.  They  drank  to  his  bride. 
They  drank  to  the  marriage.  They  drank  to  them 
selves,  and  drank  and  drank.  As  the  wine  began  to 
heat  the  blood  and  whirl  the  brain,  Jane  Slag  cried: 

"Oh,  Olive,  how  unfailing  the  resources  of  thy 
unmatched  genius  !  What  gay  wedding  sounds  !  More 
suitable  than  the  scent  and  bloom  of  flowers,  and  the 
peal  of  the  organ  !  How  charming  for  the  bride ! 
How  delightful  for  the  groom !  What  pleasant  mem 
ories  for  both !  The  angel  of  vengeance  made  thee 
his  trumpet,  Olive,  and  truly  didst  thou  blow  the  wild 
notes  of  destiny  !  " 

"Yes,"  she  replied,  the  excitement  of  the  wine 
kindling  in  her  a  tragic  fire.  "Pale  and  shivering  as 
a  ghost  stood  and  swooned  the  bride,  while  the  guilty 
groom  stalked  and  trembled  like  a  spectre  of  darkness. 
Oh,  the  mad  joy  of  the  moment !  My  tongue  was  the 
voice  of  fate.  In  my  words  was— doom,  doom,  doom  ! " 

The  two  women  rose,  kissed,  shrieked,  embraced, 
sang,  danced,  exulted,  until,  exhausted  by  exertion  and 
excitement,  they  sank  into  each  other's  arms  on  the 
bed,  and  were  soon  buried  in  slumbers. 

Where    was    Risk  ?      He    has    lied,    cheated,    plotted, 


200  KINGS  OF  CAPITAL. 

plundered,  lived  for  this  hour.  He  stands  by  his 
glorious  bride  in  triumph.  Not  only  was  her  magnifi 
cent  beauty  his,  but  with  her  he  dreams  of  the 
Arlington  title  and  the  Arlington  estate.  His  wildest 
youthful  fancies  had  never  aspired  so  high.  Flowers 
are  there ;  music  is  there ;  friends  are  there ;  Church 
and  State  are  represented  there  to  consummate  his 
bliss.  Hope  waves  her  golden  wings  and  smiles  over 
the  head  of  Risk.  But  above  him  stands  the  angel 
of  vengeance  glaring  on  the  man.  Before  he  reached 
the  place  his  old  life  was  there.  Jane  Slag  and  Olive 
Neilson  were  there.  The  ghosts  of  his  sins  were  there, 
shrieking  around  the  sacred  edifice  in  judgment  and 
in  ruin. 

Oh,  how  our  deeds  follow  us !  How  our  very 
thoughts  become  our  tormentors  and  punishers !  How 
guilt  opens  graves  along  evil  lives,  and  brings  forth 
skeletons  to  mock  and  leer  and  blast  the  transgressor ! 
Eyeless  and  tongueless  skulls  arise  to  flame  and  thun 
der  into  the  conscience  ! 

Lyman  Risk  wandered  from  street  to  street  like  a 
spectre.  He  sought  rest  and  found  none.  Instead  of 
sleeping  in  the  arms  of  his  bride,  he  was  like  a 
ghost  gliding-  through  the  midnight.  By  some  mys 
terious  attraction,  he  is  drawn  unconsciously  on  and  on, 
always  in  the-  same  direction ;  on  and  yet  on  toward 
the  building  where  the  two  women  are  asleep.  He 
knew  it  well.  Often,  when  writhing  under  their  assaults, 
he  had  gone  there,  foaming  and  raging,  to  vainly  beg 
and  threaten.  No  mercy  was  ever  found  for  him  in 


LYMAN    RISK'S    MARRIAGE.  201 

those  breasts.  His  pleas  were  disregarded,  and  he  was 
by  them  ridiculed  and  made  contemptible.  Now  he 
enters  the  great  door,  and  ascends  the  stairs  not  many 
hours  before  pressed  by  their  weary  feet.  See  !  he  is 
at  the  top.  With  no  special  purpose,  he  moves  down 
the  hall.  He  stands  before  the  lonely  bedroom  door 
which  destiny  has  left  open.  The  gas-jet  is  ablaze 
and  the  two  women  are  sleeping  in  its  bright  light. 

Risk  saw  the  scattered  flowers,  the  emptied  decanter, 
the  signs  of  the  festivity,  and  the  flushed  and  glow 
ing  cheeks  of  his  tormentors  clasped  in  affectionate 
embrace.  The  devil  rose  within  him.  He  had  come 
for  no  evil  purpose.  But  the  sight  was  too  much  for 
him.  He  can  have  revenge  for  the  past  and  quiet  for 
the  future,  and  no  man  shall  know  it.  His  face  grows 
black  with  rage,  and  his  eyes  blaze  fierce  with  joy, 
and,  without  time  for  thought,  he  has  clutched  with 
an  iron  grasp  the  throats  of  his  victims.  So  strangled, 
they  cannot  scream.  Indeed,  under  the  sudden  pres 
sure  of  blood  they  do  not  see.  But  they  twist  and 
writhe  with  a  fearful  energy. 

The  man  is  too  strong  for  them.  He  seems  armed 
with  an  infernal  power.  Now,  his  fingers  close  with 
a  tightening  clasp.  Resistance  grows  feebler  and 
feebler.  Those  two  faces  swell  and  blacken ;  those 
two  spirits  pass  from  their  bruised  flesh  together  ;  those 
two  still  bodies  lie  ghastly  before  him,  and  Lyman 
Risk  is  a  MURDERER. 

He  had  not  intended  it.  But  when  a  soul  begins 
an  evil  career,  and  the  doors  of  the  citadel  are  left 


202  KINGS  OF  CAPITAL. 

open,  and  the  walls  unguarded,  and  passion  and 
appetite  hold  revel  within,  spirits  of  darkness,  drawn 
by  a  kindred  attraction,  soon  enter,  and  Satan  is  the 
master  of  the  man,  to  rule  his  slave  forever. 

For  a  moment,  Risk  gloated  over  the  ruin  he  had 
wrought.  The  joy  was  brief.  He  turned  away,  but 
feared  to  pass  down  the  stairs  into  the  street,  and 
looked  out  from  a  window.  Escape  there  was  hope 
less.  He  turned  out  the  light,  groped  through  the 
darkness,  descended  three  flights,  climbed  out  on  a 
roof,  and  ran  wildly  over  the  tops  of  the  houses,  like 
a  flying  maniac.  The  moon,  suddenly  shining  from  a 
cloud,  revealed  the  wretch  rushing  onward  in  an  agony 
of  terror.  Coming  to  a  lower  house,  he  clambered 
down  a  lightning  rod,  and  continued  his  race. 
Obstructed  again,  he  stood  a  moment  on  the  edge  of 
a  roof,  and  leaped  through  the  air  into  a  pile  of  sand, 
into  which  he  sank  and  sank,  until  it  suggested  his 
grave ;  and  then  he  flung  himself  out  in  speechless 
fear,  covered  with  the  glittering  particles,  and,  wander 
ing  until  morning,  returned  to  his  house  like  a 
spectre. 

Of  all  living  mortals,  he  alone  may  know  that 
murderous  deed — but  he  will  know  it  forever. 

It  will  be  in  Lyman  Risk  an  eternal  memory  and 
an  eternal  torment. 


* 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

INTER    OCEANIC    SAFE    ENTERED. 


the  night  of  the  wedding  Frank  Liv 
ingstone  had  been  sauntering  down 
the  avenue  for  exercise.  His 
thoughts,  as  usual,  were  busy  with 
plans  to  complete  the  legal  proofs 
against  the  INTER  OCEANIC  conspirators.  As 
he  walked  leisurely  before  a  church,  a 
screen  and  carpet  indicated  a  wedding  within. 
He  knew  nothing  farther  of  the  occasion, 
and  concluded  at  a  venture  to  enter. 
Mingling  in  the  stream  he  soon  found  him 
self  in  a  rear  pew  on  the  middle  aisle.  The  lights 
were  blazing  and  the  organ  pouring  forth  its  jubilant 
music.  Attracted  by  approaching  footsteps,  he  turned 
his  head  and  instantly  his  heart  was  beating  in  wild 
tumult.  There  SHE  WAS— the  object  of  his  dreams  and 
his  plans.  Their  eyes  met  in  recognition,  as  hindered 
by  others  she  almost  touched  him. 

Her  cheek,    flushing   in   the  light,   was   more    radiant 

than  ever,   and,    although   plainly  attired,   the    grace    of 

• 

her  form  and  motion  made  her  beauty  exquisite.  His 
image  had  followed  her  as  her  image  had  followed 
him.  Memory  in  each  had  been  faithful  to  its  trust. 


204  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

So  occupied  was  he  with  the  daughter  that,  until  the 
service  had  begun,  he  did  not  notice  the  mother.  Nor 
did  he,  for  some  time,  recognize  Risk.  Suddenly, 
the  whole  horrible  truth  glared  before  him.  He  was 
too  late  to  prevent  the  catastrophe.  When  his  excite 
ment  was  becoming  furious,  the  fearful  noise  shivered 
and  shrieked  about  the  church,  and  he  saw  Mrs. 
Neville  fall,  and  Lucy  kneeling  over  her.  While  the 
people  scattered  in  alarm,  he  remained,  and,  as  the 
mother  was  carried  down  the  aisle,  he  stood  before  the 
daughter,  and  said  to  her  in  a  few  low,  hurried 
words  : 

"  I  am  Frank  Livingstone,  son  of  a  distinguished 
Judge  of  this  city.  Perhaps,  you  may  remember  me 
as  a  fellow  passenger  on  the  Britannia.  Will  your 
mother  receive  an  important  communication  from  me  ? 
If  so,  please  mention  the  time  and  the  place." 

Miss  Neville  perceived  instantly  the  importance  of 
such  a  friend,  and  replied  in  the  same  tone  : 

"  We  will  see  you  on  to-morrow  morning  at  eleven 
o'clock  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Risk  on  the  avenue." 

Frank  Livingstone  took  no  time  to  call  a  carriage. 
He  ran  to  his  father's  house,  reached  it  breathless, 
and,  rushing  into  the  study,  found  the  Judge  occupied 
in  writing  an  opinion,  to  be  delivered  next  morning. 
Looking  up  from  his  paper,  he  was  surprised  to  see 
his  son  agitated  and  exhausted,  and  said  to  him, 
smilingly  : 

"Why,  Frank,  what  has  happened?  Is  the  city  in 
flames  ?" 


INTER    OCEANIC    SAFE    ENTERED.  205 

"No,  sir,"  replied  Frank,  greatly  agitated;  "but  you 
perceive  that  I  am." 

"I  see  it,  clearly.  You  are  on  fire,"  replied  the 
Judge,  with  a  suspicious  laugh.  "Something  more 
about  the  English  ladies.  You  are  always  trembling 
and  breathless  when  they  are  involved.  Tell  me  what 
has  occurred." 

"  I  have  seen  the  ladies — seen  them  both — seen  them 
within  fifteen  minutes,"  Frank  cried,  with  the  greatest 
agitation. 

"That  is,  indeed,  important  news,"  said  the  Judge, 
laying  down  his  pen,  and  lifting  his  glasses  back  on 
his  brow.  "I  fear  it  will  delay  my  opinion  which  the 
lawyers  expect  at  the  opening  of  our  morning  session. 
Narrate  to  me,  at  once,  what  you  have  seen.*5 

Frank  Livingstone  then  gave  a  clear  and  brief 
account  of  what  happened  at  the  church.  When  he  had 
finished,  the  Judge  exclaimed  : 

"  This  is,  indeed,  extraordinary.  An  event  certainly, 
and  to  be  long  remembered.  What  caused  the  sounds  ? 
Spirits,  I  suppose." 

"A  spirit,"  replied  Frank;  "but  a  spirit  with  the 
help  of  lungs,  lips  and  tongue.  I  saw  there  Jane 
Slag  and  Olive  Neilson,  who  so  mercilessly  lash  Risk. 
The  latter  is,  I  suspect,  a  ventriloquist,  and  has  taken 
some  sharp  revenge  in  these  hideous  and  unearthly 
sounds." 

"Doubtless  the  true  solution,  but  I  fear  the  marriage 
was  consummated." 

"That  does  not  admit  of  question,"  said  Frank,  with 


206  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

a  flush  of  indignation.  "What  should  now  be  our 
course?" 

"That  we  must  consider  immediately  and  carefully ;" 
and  then,  smiling,  the  Judge  added:  "I  do  not  believe 
you  like  so  near  a  connection  with  Risk.  You  will  be 
prolific  in  expedients  to  untie  this  knot." 

Frank's  color  deepened  as  he  answered : 

"I  hope  my  exertions  are  not  wholly  selfish.  But 
this  is  not  the  time  to  weigh  our  motives ;  we  want 
action — instant  action." 

"The  case  is  now  clear  and  our  course  plain,"  said 
the  Judge,  with  decision  in  every  line  of  his  face  and 
tone  of  his  voice.  "A  crisis  has  arrived.  At  all 
hazards,  you  must  secure  the  original  letters,  and  you 
must  secure  them  this  night." 

"  My  own  opinion,"  answered  Frank,  with  an  expres 
sion  of  keen  pleasure,  "but  it  will  be  a  hard  task  to 
accomplish." 

"It  must  be  done,"  said  the  Judge,  "and  you  must 
begin  immediately.  Mrs.  Neville,  committed  by  this 
marriage,  will  have  every  motive  to  defend  herself 
and  her  husband.  The  testimony  must  be  overwhelming. 
Now,  the  letterpress  copies,  without  other  proof,  fix 
nothing.  They  might  have  been  made  by  innumerable 
persons  without  the  aid  of  the  conspirators.  Indeed, 
copies  by  the  pen  would  be  far  more  available  for  us, 
as  we  could  then  identify  the  handwriting.  The 
originals  we  must  have  and  have  at  once." 

"But  how,  is  the  question,"  answered  Frank, 
anxiously.  "Where  do  you  suppose  the  letters  are?" 


INTER    OCEANIC    SAFE    ENTERED.  20? 

"You,  a  lawyer,  and  ask  that  question,  Frank. 
What  is  the  most  secure  place  these  plunderers  could 
have  for  so  valuable  a  depositum." 

"Their  safe,  of  course,  and  from  their  safe  we 
must  have  them." 

"You  said  John  O'Brien,  our  old  client,  had  the 
keys  and  the  combination  ? " 

"  He  has,  sir ;  having  been  long  confidential  clerk. 
He  is  at  present  rooming  in  the  building ;  he  has 
everything  in  his  trust." 

"Then  John  O'Brien  is  your  man.  Find  him  and 
secure  him." 

"But  the  risk  is  fearful.  Should  we  fail,  we  will 
be  liable  in  damages  and  in  imprisonment." 

"  Undoubtedly,  my  son ;  that  I  well  know.  I  am 
most  cautious  until  a  crisis  is  reached,  and  then  I  feel 
no  fear.  We  must  go  forward  or  fail.  Only  the 
bold  are  rewarded.  Go  to  my  friend,  Judge  Whit- 
taker  ;  procure  on  your  affidavit  a  warrant  of  arrest 
for  Risk,  Planning  and  Slykes ;  take  this  to  the  Chief 
of  Police  and  obtain  from  him  two  faithful  men  ;  find 
access  to  the  building  under  their  authority ;  secure 
John  O'Brien,  and  get  into  the  safe  and  take  the 
letters.  I  will  stand  by  you  in  every  peril." 

Pointing  to  the  papers  before  him,   he  continued : 

"Do  you  see  this  opinion?  I  expect  to  complete  it 
this  night.  Now,  when  the  clock  strikes  one,  and  I 
have  written  the  last  word,  I  wish  that  package  of 
original  letters  to  be  on  this  table,  here,  just  here, 
Frank,"  said  the  Judge,  tapping  the  green  cover  with 


208  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

his  gold  spectacles;  "on  this  very  spot  where  you  see 
me  now  striking." 

The  son  was  astonished  and  delighted  by  the  shrewd 
ness  and  boldness  of  his  noble  old  father.  His  own 
faith  and  courage  were  stimulated,  and  his  enthusiasm 
kindled  into  a  blaze.  Rising  from  his  seat,  he  stood  a 
moment  before  the  venerable  man,  and  then  falling  on 
his  knees,  with  a  tear  in  his  eye,  he  exclaimed  : 

"Your  blessing,  sir." 

The  hand  of  the  Judge  was  extended,  silence 
ensued,  and,  with  the  gentle  pressure  on  his  head, 
Frank  Livingstone  experienced  an  increase  of  hope 
and  of  resolve.  Indeed,  he  felt  in  himself  the  assur 
ances  of  victory.  Leaving  his  father's  presence,  he 
soon  secured  the  writ  and  the  two  officers,  and  pro 
ceeded  to  the  INTER  OCEANIC  RAILWAY  DEPOT. 

The  edifice  rose  before  him  in  its  grand  and  stately 
proportions,  visible  in  the  light  of  the  moon  which, 
just  bursting  through  a  rift  of  a  cloud,  poured  down 
her  glory  over  wall  and  turret,  and  turned  the  glass 
of  the  roof  into  glancing  gold,  illuminating  the  marble 
statues  of  President  Risk  and  Vice-President  Planning 
standing  high  above  Frank  Livingstone. 

He  and  the  two  officers  stood  before  the  door  in  a 
brief  whispered  conversation.  When  this  was  finished 
one  of  the  latter  gave  a  gentle  tap  on  the  window. 
This  being  unanswered  he  increased  the  force.  Very 
eoon  a  gruff  voice  within  was  heard  asking, 

".Who's  there?" 

The  elder  officer  replied,    "Friends." 


INTER    OCEANIC    SAFE    ENTERED.  209 

"What  are  your  names?"  inquired  the  voice,  in  a 
low,  hesitating  tone. 

"I  am  Henry  Clamp,  Captain  of  this  ward,  and 
James  Stout,  my  assistant,  is  with  me,  and  also  Mr. 
Frank  Livingstone.  We  wish  to  see  you  on  business." 

There  was  a  moment's  pause,  a  bar  was  withdrawn. 
Then  a  key  was  heard  turning  in  a  lock.  Lastly, 
bolts  were  unfastened  at  the  top  and  bottom,  and  the 
door  swung  open. 

John  O'Brien,  confidental  clerk  of  the  INTER  OCEANIC 
RAILWAY,  stood  before  them  in  the  light  of  the  moon. 

"John,"  said  Clamp,  "we  want  to  have  a  private 
talk  with  you  in  the  chief  office." 

"I  see  no  harm  in  that,"  answered  O'Brien.  Come 
along  with  me." 

They  entered.  The  door  was  shut  and  fastened, 
and  the  four  men  proceeded  to  the  room.  The  gas 
was  now  turned  up  until  the  place  was  dimly  lighted, 
and  there,  before  Frank  Livingstone,  was  the  door  of 
the  huge  safe,  containing  the  treasure  he  so  much 
desired. 

"John,"  began  Clamp,  "I  believe  you  know  Mr. 
Livingstone." 

"Oh,  yes,"  replied  O'Brien;  "I  have  known  him 
long  and  well,  and  have  reason  to  remember  him, 
since  he  once  saved  my  life." 

"  John  O'Brien  is  an  old  client  of  ours,"  said  Frank, 
taking  the  man's  hand.  "Once,  when  unjustly  accused, 
my  father  and  I  defended  him,  and  saved  him  from 
the  gallows." 


210  KINGS  OF  CAPITAL. 

"Thankful,"  answered  O'Brien,  with  a  beaming  face 
and  a  tear  in  his  eye,  "  am  I  and  all  my  family  to 
you  both.  But  for  you  I  would  have  swung  sure,  and 
disgraced  my  blood  and  left  Bridget  O'Brien  a  widow, 
and  my  boys  and  girls  fatherless  orphans  in  the  world." 

Clamp  and  Stout  now  took  the  clerk  into  an  adjoin 
ing  apartment  to  get  from  him  what  they  wanted. 
They  showed  the  warrants  of  arrest  for  Risk,  Plan 
ning  and  Slykes,  whom  the  man  knew  to  be  plunder 
ing  knaves.  It  was  a  great  advantage  that  he  had 
confidence  in  the  Livingstones,  and  that  he  had  no 
confidence  in  his  employers. 

It  was  a  long  conference.  Frank  could  hear  the 
voices  of  the  three  men  in  earnest  conversation.  His 
chair  was  immediately  before  the  door  of  the  safe,  and 
he  sat  looking  at  it.  Shall  it  open  ?  Shall  he  see  the 
key  inserted  and  hear  it  turn  in  its  place,  and  then 
catch  the  glad  sound  of  withdrawing  bolt  and  swinging 
hinge  ?  Shall  he  enter  that  dark,  mysterious  vault  ? 
Can  it  be  possible  that  he  will  penetrate  into  the  inmost 
recesses  of  the  great  corporation,  and  snatch  his  treas 
ure  from  its  most  secure  hiding  place  ?  It  seems 
impossible  to  pass  that  grim  barrier.  He  hears  the 
tick  of  the  large  railway  clock,  and  sees  in  the  low 
light  the  motion  of  the  hands,  and  remarks  the  meas 
ured  swing  of  the  brass  pendulum.  A  solitary  cricket 
utters  an  occasional  chirp,  and  then  the  tooth  of  a 
mouse  gnaws  gently  the  floor.  Now,  as  he  sits  in  the 
visible  gloom,  he  recalls  the  history  of  the  past  few 
months — the  voyage  on  the  Britannia,  the  faces  of  the 


INTER    OCEANIC    SAFE    ENTERED.  211 

ladies,  Lord  Arlington,  Colonel  Oscar  Neville  and  his 
frightful  death  on  the  wild  billows ;  the  scene  of 
agony  that  followed ;  his  efforts  at  discovery ;  the 
tragedy  in  Villont's  den ;  the  body  of  the  mangled 
wretch ;  the  marriage  just  witnessed,  and  the  strange 
voice,  even  yet  shrieking  in  his  ears ;  the  prostrate 
form  of  Mrs.  Neville ;  the  beauty  of  Lucy  bending 
over;  the  appearance  of  Risk,  and  the  two  female 
fates  sitting  near  him;  his  brief  interview  in  the  aisle 
of  the  church;  his  father's  advice  and  blessing  in  the 
study — these  and  a  thousand  other  events  passed  before 
him,  pictured  as  in  a  moving  panorama.  Often  his 
thoughts  were  interrupted  by  voices,  now  subdued, 
now  rising,  pleading,  threatening,  inquiring,  answering, 
persuading — running  through  the  whole  marvelous 
gamut  of  human  tone,  and  human  purpose,  and 
human  feeling.  Hours  seem  to  pass.  The  clock  struck 
eleven,  and  after  a  long  interval  rang  out  twelve, 
and  still  the  voices  continued,  and  the  current  of  his 
thoughts  rolled  on  and  his  mind  seemed  more  vivid 
and  vigorous  than  ever.  A  silence  ensues.  The  argu 
ment  is  over.  What  settled  the  point  he  never  knew. 
But  O'Brien  had  yielded.  He  came  from  the  room, 
took  out  his  keys,  turned  the  lock,  pulled  open  the 
door,  struck  a  match  and  lighted  a  lamp,  passed  into 
the  safe,  remained  perhaps  a  minute,  and  returned, 
placing  in  the  hands  of  Frank  Livingstone  a  package 
of  letters.  Not  a  word  was  spoken,  but  the  prize 
was  none  the  less  secure. 

The    four    men  proceeded     to    the    door,     and,    after 


2\2  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

thanks  and  good  night,  separated.  In  ten  minutes 
Frank  Livingstone  was  again  in  his  father's  study. 

The  Judge  did  not  look  at  his  son  as  he  stood 
before  him,  but  continued  rapidly  writing.  His  pen 
flew  over  his  paper.  Many  minutes  passed,  still  his 
pen  flew.  Minutes  more  elapsed.  His  pen  flew  faster. 
Frank  could  hear  every  scratch  on  the  paper,  and  still 
his  pen  flew,  until  just  as  the  clock  struck  one,  the 
Judge  stopped  and  said:  "Frank,  put  that  package 
down  there,  just  there  where  I  directed.  My 
opinion  is  finished,  the  clock  has  tolled  the  hour  and 
here  are  the  letters.  I  have  sought  higher  aid  than 
yours  or  mine  and  I  expected  this  result.  Heaven  has 
heard  and  given  us  the  victory." 

Frank,  in  an  ecstacy  of  grateful  joy,  laid  the  package 
in  the  precise  spot  indicated. 

Yes;  there  were  the  letters — the  coveted  letters,  the 
original  letters— letters  from  Mrs.  Neville,  from  Lucy, 
from  Lord  Clare  Arlington,  from  numerous  friends — 
letters  taken  from  the  safe  of  the  INTER-OCEANIC 
CONSPIRACY  and  fixing  in  characters  of  flame  the  brand 
of  guilt  on  the  infamous  Risk,  Planning  and  Slykes. 
The  proofs  were  complete  and  escape  was  impossible. 
Arrest  will  follow.  An  examination  showed  that  the 
sales  of  the  Railway  stocks,  the  proceeds  from  jewels 
and  other  property,  and  the  amounts  of  the  remittances, 
after  deducting  the  sums  allowed  Mrs.  Neville,  exceeded 
half  a  million  of  dollars.  This  was  clearly  evinced  by 
memoranda  in  the  handwriting  of  Risk. 

The    Judge    now    took    up     a    small    envelope    and 


INTER    OCEANIC    SAFE    ENTERED.  213 

proceeded  to  open  it.  It  was  unsealed,  and  while  in 
his  hands  there  rolled  out  on  the  table  a  ring  containing 
a  magnificent  diamond,  whose  brilliance,  flashing  in  the 
light,  startled  them.  Even  in  the  gas-jet,  it  burned 
and  flamed  as  if  the  volcanic  fires  stored  in  it  during 
centuries  were  now  blazing  forth  in  glories  proportionate 
to  the  cycles  of  their  accumulation. 

"Ha,"  exclaimed  the  Judge,  with  a  beaming  and 
dilated  eye,  "  what  a  jewel — fit  for  the  brows  of  kings  ! 
It  would  not  surprise  me,  if  it  proved  some  famous 
Indian  celebrity  !  Examine  it,  my  son  ! " 

Frank  took  the  ring  and,  glancing  his  eye  within  its 
circle  of  gold,  said : 

"I  find  inscribed  here,  'Oscar  Neville  to  Emily 
Neville,  Delhi,  1857!'" 

"  It  is  a  sacred  relic,"  replied  the  Judge ;  "  doubtless 
made  precious  by  love  and  battle.  Perhaps  it  was 
rescued  by  heroic  valor  from  the  flames  of  the  old 
Mogul  Metropolis,  and  placed  by  the  hand  of  affection 
on  the  finger  of  beauty.  Frank,  I  give  it  to  your 
custody,  and  trust  that  before  long  you  will  be  enabled 
to  restore  it  to  the  delighted  owner,  and  see  it  shine 
in  her  smile  with  a  brilliance  equal  to  that  of  your 
own  hopes." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE    DIVORCE. 

RS.  NEVILLE  had  been  carried 
insensible  from  the  church  to 
the  house  of  Lyman  Risk.  She 
was  thus  spared  all  questions 
as  to  the  choice  of  her  resi 
dence.  Lucy,  of  course,  could 


only  accompany  her  wronged  and  suffer 
ing  mother,  who  was  conveyed  imme 
diately  from  the  carriage  to  her  apart 
ment.  The  agony  of  the  terrible  scene 
in  the  church  was  succeeded  by  the 
apathy  of  exhaustion,  and  she  spent  the 
night  in  slumber,  but  with  interruptions 

from  frightful  dreams. 

With    the    morning    sun,    the     consciousness     of     her 

situation    rushed    upon    her,   so  that    the  light  was  but 

a  revival   of  her  misery. 

Throwing    round    her    person    a    loose    wrapper,    and 

ordering    her    coffee,     she    reclined    on    a    sofa    near    a 

window   of  the   avenue. 

The    bright    beams,   trembling    through    the   curtains, 

and  glittering   on  the   floor,  seemed   in   mockery  of    her 

agony,  and  the  glory  of  the  creation  was  an  aggravation 

of    her  distress.      While    Mrs.    Neville    was    lying    silent 


THE    DIVORCE.  215 

and  tearful  she  heard  a  gentle  foot-fall.  Opening  her 
eyes,  she  saw  the  beautiful  face  of  Midge.  He  stood 
like  a  statue  with  his  arms  folded  awaiting  her 
awakening.  In  his  dark  eyes  and  boyish  face  were 
the  tokens  of  a  kindred  sorrow. 

Midge,  as  we  have  seen,  under  the  gracious  care  of 
the  ladies,  had  developed  like  a  flower  transported  from 
darkness  and  sterility  to  a  place  where  all  conditions 
of  soil  and  air  and  light  are  favorable  to  bloom. 

He  was  silent  as  a  sunbeam,  but  as  bright  and 
as  animating.  Villont's  stern  Jesuitical  discipline  had 
taken  out  of  him  the  joyousness  of  youth,  but,  under 
the  culture  of  lovely  women,  he  was  growing  morally 
and  intellectually,  and  his  life  was  becoming  a  lesson 
of  quiet  delight.  He  resembled  an  ideal  of  childhood 
in  stone  converted  into  flesh,  and  animated  with  a 
soul,  yet  gliding  over  the  world  in  its  living  beauty 
as  speechless  as  ever.  In  his  young  heart  was  a 
sorrow  often  bringing  a  tear  to  his  eye,  and  a  cloud 
over  his  face. 

"What  do  you  want,  my  little  Midge?"  said  Mrs. 
Neville,  with  half-opened  eyes,  looking  dreamily  and 
languidly  at  the  boy. 

"I  want  you  to  forgive  me,  Mrs.  Neville,"  replied 
the  boy  in  a  low  voice,  while  the  drops  began  to  steal 
out  from  his  eyes. 

"Forgive  you!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Neville,  looking  at 
him  with  awakened  interest  and  surprise.  "Why, 
Midge,  you  have  never  done  me  any  wrong,  nor  can  I 
conceive  how  you  could  harm  me  ! " 


216  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

These  words  cut  into  the  heart  of  the  boy,  and  from 
hidden  springs  let  forth  all  the  floods  of  his  sorrows. 
He  wept  convulsively.  He  shook  with  the  intensity  of 
his  feelings.  It  was  plain  that  only  a  powerful  cause 
could  excite  such  a  tempest. 

Mrs.  Neville  saw  that  something  important  was  in 
the  moment.  She  was  instantly  aroused  from  the 
apathy  of  her  exhaustion,  and  said: 

"My  little  Midge,  it  will  be  better  for  you  to  tell  me 
the  whole  truth." 

The  boy  began  again  and  again,  but  was  interrupted 
by  his  sobbings  and  his  tears.  Yet,  from  a  word  here 
and  there,  Mrs.  Neville  at  last  extracted  from  him  the 
story  of  the  letters  and  complicity  of  Slykes  in  the 
fraud,  and  she  saw  clearly  that  Risk  and  Planning 
must  have  been  participators,  if  not  the  authors,  of  the 
whole  infamous  scheme.  She  was  a  dupe  and  a  victim. 
The  whole  truth,  like  a  flash  of  morning  light,  darted 
through  her  soul.  First,  she  had  been  plundered  ;  then 
married  to  her  plunderer.  How  she  thanked  Heaven 
for  that  awful  voice  which  had  kept  the  villain  from 
her  arms  ! 

So  strange  is  the  heart,  and  so  inexplicable,  that 
the  certainty  of  the  imposition,  instead  of  crushing  her, 
aroused  her  spirit.  She  arose  from  her  sofa  an  Arling 
ton  again.  Mrs.  Oscar  Neville  stood  forth  in  her  own 
personality,  awakened  suddenly  to  a  capacity  for  at 
least  one  stupendous  act  of  courage.  No  human  spirit 
could  be  more  resolved. 

The  tempest  was  succeeded    by  a  sudden   composure 


THE    DIVORCE.  217 

and  command,  which  transfused  themselves  into  Midge, 
and  he  became  capable  of  answering  her  questions. 

"Why,  Midge,"  she  began,  "did  not  you  tell  me  this 
before  ?  You  know  how  kind  we  have  been  to  you, 
and  I  feel  very  badly  to  think  you  could  have  deceived 
and  wronged  us.  Had  you  made  this  known  before, 
oh,  how  much  you  might  have  saved  me  !" 

"  Oh,  Mrs.  Neville,"  he  said,  amid  floods  of  grief ; 
"my  father  threatened  my  life,  and  Mr.  Sly kes  took  me 
to  his  room,  placed  a  pistol  at  each  of  my  ears,  and 
swore  he  would  shoot  me  if  I  did  not  do  as  he  directed, 
or  if  ever  I  told  any  one  in  the  world.  So,  you  see,  I 
was  afraid." 

"I  cannot  blame  thee,  Midge,"  she  said,  with  an 
infinite  sadness,  clasping  her  hands,  and  with  a  strong 
effort  suppressing  the  rising  weakness  of  her  tears. 
".Thou  wast  the  compelled  and,  therefore,  guiltless  agent 
of  old  and  murderous  villains,  who  shall  yet  be  over 
taken  by  the  vengeance  of  Heaven ;  but,  oh,  what  seas 
of  agony  I  would  have  escaped ;  what  pangs,  what 
horrors  unutterable,  had  I  known  what  I  have  now 
gleaned  from  thee  !  Yet,  on  the  other  hand,  I  would 
have  missed  that  deep  knowledge  of  myself  and  that 
tenderness  toward  misery  which  have  resulted  from 
my  sufferings." 

After  this  soliloquy,  Mrs.   Neville  inquired  anxiously  : 

"  Hast  thou  ever  told  this  to  another ;  if  thou  hast, 
I  must  know  the  truth." 

"Oh,  no,  no,  Mrs.  Neville,"  answered  the  boy,  sadly 
and  eagerly.  "I  went  once  to  his  office  to  tell  Mr. 


218  KINGS  OF  CAPITAL. 

Frank   Livingstone,   but  he  was  not  in,   and  so  I  never 
tried  again." 

"Why,  my  child,  tell  a  stranger  rather  than  myself, 
who  am  your  friend  ? " 

"Because,"  said  Midge,  "he  was  my  father's  lawyer, 
and  when  I  sometimes  went  to  his  office  he  was  kind 
to  me,  and  he  is  good  and  rich,  and  every  person  loves 
him,  and  his  father  is  a  great  Judge,  and  I  thought 
it  better  to  ask  his  advice." 

"Enough,  my  little  fellow!  Thy  answer  shows  thy 
heart  was  right,  and  thy  intentions  make  me  love  thee, 
much  suffering  as  thou  hast  caused  us,"  replied  Mrs. 
Neville,  with  a  sigh.  "  Speak  on  this  subject  to  no 
other  person.  I  forgive  thee.  Go  down  stairs  and  await 
my  call." 

Mrs.  Neville  remained  in  a  strange  tranquillity.  A 
fire  was  kindled  which  consumed  the  sources  of  tears, 
and  when  the  flame  subsided  she  was  left  strong  as  a 
volcanic  rock.  Now  she  is  capable  of  great  deeds.  Her 
feminine  weakness  is  overpowered  by  the  invincible 
might  of  a  conquering  purpose. 

Lucy  had  already  informed  her  of  the  request  of 
Frank  Livingstone,  whose  name  had  been  so  strangely 
mentioned  by  Midge.  She  had  been  trying  to  recall 
his  image,  but  found  her  memory  wholly  confused. 
Several  hours  passed  in  calmly  revolving  her  plans 
when  Midge  brought  her  a  card,  saying,  "Oh,  Mrs, 
Neville,  Mr.  Frank  Livingstone  is  here,  and  wants  to 
see  you.  He  is  so  good  and  kind  and  rich,  and  I 
know  will  be  a  true  friend." 


THE    DIVORCE.  219 

"Request  him,  Midge,  to  come  here  to  my  sitting- 
room,  where  we  can  be  private,  and  do  you  remain  in 
my  bedroom,  and  come  instantly  when  I  ring  my 
bell." 

Mrs.  Neville  arose  from  her  sofa,  retired  for  a  few 
moments,  and  returned  with  a  pistol  which  she  placed 
in  a  drawer  of  her  stand. 

A  knock  was  heard,  and,  after  her  response,  Frank 
Livingstone  entered. 

Her  eye  assisted  her  memory,  and  she  recognized 
him  as  having  been  seen  by  her  on  the  vessel. 

"  Sir,"  she  said,  extending  her  hand,  "  I  could  not 
recall  you  until  I  saw  your  face  and  person ;  now, 
however,  that  you  are  before  me,  my  recollection  grows 
distinct." 

Taking  her  hand,  Frank  answered  in  a  tone  of  the 
deepest  respect : 

''Madam,  you  are  right.  I  was  a  passenger  with 
you  during  your  voyage  on  the  Britannia." 

'"My  little  Midge,"  she  replied,  with  a  sad  smile, 
"has  just  been  speaking  so  loudly  in  your  praise  that 
he  has  quite  prepared  me  for  this  interview.  You  will 
not  hesitate  to  make  freely  any  communication  you 
may  deem  proper.  Although  my  confidence  has  been 
so  cruelly  betrayed,  I  feel  assured  that  I  can  trust 
you." 

Frank  Livingstone  then  related  briefly  his  strange 
interest  in  the  ladies,  his  efforts  to  discover  them,  his 
father's  participation  in  his  plans,  their  difficulties, 
perseverance,  and  final  success  in  obtaining  first  the 


220  KINGS   OF  CAPITAL. 

copies  and  then  the  originals  of  .all  the  letters  between 
Mrs.  Neville  and  her  English  friends. 

She  listened  with  absorbing  attention,  but  without 
visible  emotion.  The  fire  was  too  deep  to  be  seen  on 
the  surface.  After  long  musing  she  suddenly  and 
impetuously  exclaimed : 

"  Pardon  me,  Mr.  Livingstone ;  my  mind  was  so 
engaged  that  I  forgot  the  most  sacred  duty  of  my 
life.  To  you  and  your  father  my  obligations  are 
unspeakable.  Your  nobility  and  generosity  have  soft 
ened  a  heart  which  treacherous  villains  have  nearly 
converted  into  rock.  Oh,  how  I  thank  you  both ! 
My  whole  future  life  shall  be  a  testimony  to  my  grat 
itude." 

"  Madam,"  said  Frank,  with  solemnity  and  manly 
directness,  "  we  have  only  done  what  Heaven  com 
manded  as  our  duty.  Our  path  seemed  so  plain  that 
we  had  to  walk  in  it.  Besides,  we  have  found  ample 
reward  in  the  acts  themselves." 

"But  that,  sir,"  she  replied,  "does  not  diminish 
my  obligation.  Such  disinterested  deeds  are  not  com 
mon  in  the  world,  and  they  shed  the  only  true  light 
through  its  deep  and  awful  darkness." 

Pausing  for  a  moment,  and  with  a  visible  effort  to 
preserve  her  control,  she  added : 

"Can  I  see  the  letters?" 

"Madam,"  said  Frank,  "if  it  be  your  wish,  it  is 
certainly  your  right.  They  are  your  exclusive  prop 
erty.  I  have  brought  them  in  this  sealed  package, 
and  hereby  restore  them  to  their  lawful  owner.  Some 


THE    DIVORCE.  221 

of  them  we  were  compelled  to  read,  but  I  trust  that 
we  never  exceeded  the  bounds  of  delicacy  and  neces 
sity." 

He  placed  a  bundle  on  the  table  before  her,  and 
untied  the  tape  around  it,  then,  removing  the  exterior 
wrappings,  delivered  the  letters  into  her  hands.  She 
received  them,  held  them  for  a  moment,  scrutinized 
them,  and  then,  laying  the  package  down,  broke  the 
seal  and  commenced  reading.  Not  an  emotion  appeared 
on  her  face.  A  man  of  business  could  have  perused 
with  no  less  seeming  surprise  his  ordinary  morning 
mail.  She  looked  through  them  all,  and  noticed  espe 
cially  the  memoranda  of  Risk.  When  the  examination 
was  completed  she  said : 

"Mr.  Livingstone,  I  know  that  you  will  pardon  me 
for  thus  absorbing  myself  from  you.  These  letters, 
the  testimony  of  Midge,  and  your  own  statements, 
make  the  conspiracy  plain  in  all  its  vileness  and  mon 
strosity.  Have  you  calculated  the  amounts  these  men 
have  realized  through  their  villainies?" 

"Madam,"  answered  Frank,  "as  far  as  my  father 
and  myself  can  calculate,  not  less  than  half  a  million 
of  dollars  in  our  currency." 

"Has  the  INTER  OCEANIC  RAILWAY  the  means  to 
pay  such  a  sum  ? "  she  inquired  with  composure. 

"Their  circumstances  are  desperate,  Madam,"  Frank 
answered.  "  Indeed,  it  is  a  bankrupt  corporation.  But 
they  have  just  mortgaged  their  new  depot  and  obtained 
money  in  other  ways,  so  that  now  they  happen  to 
have  an  immense  sum  at  their  disposal,  most  prob- 


222  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

ably  with  a  view  to  bankruptcy,  and  for  the  benefit 
of  a  few  principal  officers." 

At  this  intelligence  there  was  a  glance  of  fire  in 
the  eye  of  Mrs.  Neville,  and  on  her  face  the  light  of 
a  conquerless  determination. 

"In  what  bank,"    she    inquired,    "is    this    money?" 

"  In  the  American  Railway  Bank,    madam." 

"Mr.    Livingstone,   have  you  a  blank  check?" 

"  Yes,  madam,"  said  Frank,  taking  out  and  opening 
his  pocket-book,  "one  on  that  very  bank." 

"  Now,"  she  said,  quietly,  "  oblige  me  by  filling  out 
the  date  on  that  check  and  making  it  payable  to  your 
own  order  for  a  half  a  million  of  dollars." 

"  I  must  willingly  do  what  a  lady  commands," 
replied  Frank,  bowing  and  smiling,  "although  I  can 
not  see  your  object,  and  fear  that  the  paper  will  be 
as  valueless  after  as  before." 

"Still,"  she  persisted,  "I  must  ask  you  to  comply 
with  my  request." 

Mrs.  Neville  took  a  pen  and  an  inkstand  out  of 
the  drawer,  and,  placing  them  before  Frank,  he  filled 
out  the  check  and  left  it  on  the  table. 

"Thanks,  Mr.  Livingtone,"  she  resumed;  "many 
thanks  for  this  and  all  your  kindness  !  But  I  must 
bring  myself  under  additional  obligation.  You  notice 
my  determined  self-possession.  It  is  given  me  for  my 
work.  Heaven  has  strengthened  me  for  what  is  just 
before  me.  When  I  have  accomplished  the  task 
assigned  me,  nature  will  assert  herself  and  I  shall 
long  be  confined  as  a  sufferer,  and,  perhaps,  be  carried 


THE    DIVORCE.  223 

to  my  grave.  Should  I  attain  my  purpose,  this 
money  will  be  at  your  command,  and  I  request  you 
to  provide  for  my  illness,  and  to  solicit  your  noble 
mother  to  have  some  care  for  my  Lucy.  I  am  sure 
that  you  will  wish  to  complete  the  task  you  have  so 
generously  begun." 

"  Most  gladly,"  replied  Frank,  with  a  manly  and 
respectful  cordiality.  "Any  wish  you  may  express 
will  be  executed,  if  it  be  within  the  power  of  our 
family." 

"Again,"  she  said,  "  my  thanks  from  a  full  and 
grateful  heart.  But  once  more  I  must  trouble  you. 
My  name,  Mr.  Livingstone,  my  hated  name.  Tell  me, 
oh,  tell  me,  how  can  I  be  rid  of  it  forever  ? " 

"  If  you  command  us,  madam,  my  father  and  myself 
can  obtain  an  act  of  the  Legislature,  which  will  give 
you  relief.  Under  the  peculiar  circumstances,  we  deem 
this  better  than  application  to  our  courts." 

She  clasped  her  hands  as  if  delivered  from  a  secret 
torture.  A  mountain  of  flame  was  lifted  from  her. 
Her  eyes  spoke  the  thanks  she  dared  not  trust  to 
words.  Frank  never  forgot  that  unutterable  look. 
After  this  unexpected  tempest  of  soul  her  previous 
self-command  was  restored. 

"Mr.  Livingstone,"  she  resumed,  "I  am  piling  into 
heaven  the  mountains  of  my  obligations.  I  thought  I 
had  finished,  and  now  I  make  yet  another  request. 
The  carriage  shall  be  ordered  to  my  door.  Please 
remain  in  «the  drawing-room  until  you  obtain,  through 
Midge,  my  direction  how  to  use  it." 


224  KINGS  OF   CAPITAL. 

"Gladly,  Mrs.  Neville,"  exclaimed  Frank,  "  will  I 
comply  with  your  request.  One  thing  yet  remains," 
he  continued  after  a  pause;  "with  the  package  of 
letters  was  a  small  envelope  containing  this  diamond 
ring." 

He  took  from  his  pocket  the  brilliant  gem.  Oh,  how 
it  gave  back  its  splendors  to  that  morning  sun,  flash 
ing  its  light  into  the  face  of  Mrs.  Neville,  who  seemed 
kindled  into  an  overpowering  joy.  She  was  speechless 
in  the  excess  of  her  emotion,  and  unable  to  receive 
the  jewel,  which  continued  to  sparkle  in  the  hand  of 
Livingstone.  After  a  long  pause,  Mrs.  NeviUe  was 
capable  of  saying : 

''Sir,  words  would  be  poor  and  unavailing  in  such 
a  joy  as  mine.  The  intensity  of  my  delight  and 
gratitude  is  inexpressible.  Next  to  my  Oscar  and  my 
Lucy,  that  gem  to  me  is  precious.  When  it  left  my 
finger,  my  life  went  with  it,  and  when  restored,  my 
life  will  return.  My  torn  heart  will  now  be  healed.  To 
testify  what  I  feel,  I  will  select  you,  sir,  to  perform 
the  most  sacred  office  possible  to  me,  and  which 
carries  me  back  again  to  the  spirit  of  my  Oscar.  I 
request  you  to  place  that  ring  on  my  finger." 

She  held  down  her  hand,  and  extended  her  finger. 
Livingstone  was  on  his  knees  in  a  moment.  No 
knight  of  chivalry  ever  glowed  more  fervently  in  the 
presence  of  wronged  and  delivered  beauty,  than  he, 
as  he  delicately  placed  on  the  fair  finger  the  oriental 
brilliant,  bestowed  by  affection,  torn  away .  by  fraud, 
and  now  restored  by  a  stranger,  selected  by  Heaven 


THE    DIVORCE.  225 

for  the  office.  Livingstone  soon  after  bade  Mrs. 
Neville  a  respectful  good-morning,  and  she  was  left  to 
herself. 

The  ring  on  her  finger  !  The  letters  on  the  table  ! 
What  histories !  She  gazed  on  them,  and  gazed  and 
gazed,  and  continued  to  gaze,  with  feelings  too  deep 
for  words,  or  tears,  or  acts,  or  anything  but  a 
motionless  silence. 

After  many  minutes  of  profound  stillness  she  rang  a 
bell.  Its  silvery  tinkle  was  a  relief  and  soon  brought 
Midge  to  her  side. 

" Midge,"  she  said,  "tell  Mr.  Risk  that  I  wish  to 
see  him  at  once  in  this  room." 

The  boy  departed  and  she  was  again  alone.  She 
drew  on  her  gloves,  removed  the  package  from  view, 
took  the  pistol  out  of  the  drawer,  and  thrust  it  into 
her  wrapper  pocket,  placed  the  table  in  the  middle  of 
the  room  with  a  chair  before  it,  laid  on  it  the  check, 
and  near  the  pen  and  the  inkstand,  and  then  seated 
herself  on  the  sofa. 

Scarcely  had  these  preparations  been  completed, 
when  the  door  opened,  and  Risk  slowly  and  reluc 
tantly  entered. 

His  hair  was  white  as  winter;  his  very  beard  was 
gray ;  and  he  had  the  aspect  of  a  man  snowed  with 
sudden  age.  In  his  eye  was  an  almost  frenzied  stare. 
It  wandered,  and  then  suddenly  fixed  itself  on  some 
image  it  was  shaping.  Risk,  too,  was  bowed  in  form 
as  with  the  weight  of  years. 

Confronted    with     the    woman    he    had    wronged,   he 


226  KINGS   OF  CAPITAL. 

dared  not  sit,  but  stood  before  her  like  a  culprit 
awaiting  doom. 

Taking  the  pistol  from  her  pocket,  she  cocked  it 
and  placed  her  finger  on  the  trigger.  Looking  steadily 
in  his  face,  she  said  slowly  : 

"  Lyman  Risk,    we  separate." 

These  words  seemed  to  call  the  wretch  back  to  life. 
Instantly  everything  returned  to  him  but  the  color  of 
his  hair,  whose  white  contrasted  with  the  momentary 
glow  of  his  recovered  manhood.  He  saw  he  was  on 
the  chasm's  brink,  and  that  his  only  hope  was  in 
the  woman.  Summoning  his  blasted  energies,  he 
exclaimed  : 

"  I  hope  you  will  not  think  of  this.  Do  not  regard 
too  much  the  occurrences  of  last  evening.  Those  words 
were  from  the  lips  of  a  ventriloquising  actress,  who 
has  sworn  my  ruin." 

"Painful  and  mortifying  as  was  that  scene,"  she 
replied,  "it  makes  no  part  of  the  reasons  impelling  me 
to  my  resolution." 

"Perhaps,"  he  suggested  dubiously,  "you  may  have 
heard  of  the  embarrassments  of  our  Railway,  and  our 
pecuniary  difficulties  may  be  affecting  your  mind." 

"  Not  in  the  least,"  she  said,  with  an  imperious  smile. 
"Poverty  could  never  be  sufficient  ground  for  divorce, 
nor  cause  me  to  abhor  an  honest  name." 

"Tell  me  your  reasons,"  he  said,  as  if  afraid  she 
would  comply  with  his  request. 

"Your  name  is  odious,"  she  answered,  with  rising 
fierceness.  "Risk,  Risk,  Risk!  A  shriek  in  my  ear; 


THE    DIVORCE.  227 

a  blot  on  my  life ;  a  haunting  ghost  wherever  I  go. 
I  despise  it !  I  abhor  it !  Yelling  in  my  ears  since  our 
marriage,  I  hear  some  devil  scream,  Risk,  Risk  !  Mrs. 
Lyman  Risk  !  This  is  torture." 

Her  words  waked  a  fiend  in  the  man.  He  glared 
on  her  like  a  tiger.  Blood  was  in  his  eye  and  murder 
in  his  heart.  But  her  look,  as  she  stood  with  pointed 
pistol,  subdued  him.  He  cowered  under  her  gaze. 

"Come  to  the  point,  Mrs.  Risk,"  he  urged,  "and  let 
me  know  plainly  and  immediately  what  has  changed 
your  purpose." 

"  Call  me  by  that  hated  name  at  your  peril,"  she 
burst  out  with  a  terrible  emphasis  of  indignation.  "I 
will  never  hear  it  from  you  or  any  other  person.  I 
have  overwhelming  proofs  of  your  villainy.  All  you 
have  done  is  by  fraud,  and  your  marriage  has  no  value 
before  the  law.  Already  I  have  taken  measures  to 
remove  from  my  life  this  detestable  stigma." 

Risk  flamed  again  into  fury,  and  was  only  kept 
from  violence  by  his  own  conscious  villainy  and  her 
Arlington  courage,  which  she  was  prepared  to  support 
by  a  pistol.  He  cried  out. 

"Beware!  Hell  is  rising  in  me!  I  can  scarcely 
keep  my  hands  from  your  throat !  You  will  drive  me 
to  desperation  and  murder.  Persevere  in  this  course, 
and  we  are  ruined.  Desist,  and  we  may  be  happy." 

"Never!"  she  replied,  with  all  her  energy.  "Never, 
never!  Your  name  I  will  never  bear." 

"Once  you  were  glad  enough  to  have  it!"  he  cried, 
like  a  madman.  "Do  not  repeat  what  you  have  said, 


228  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

or  I  will  not  be  responsible  for  the  consequences.     Law 
and  muscle  are  on  my  side." 

"But  on  my  side  are  Justice  and  Heaven,"  she 
answered,  with  a  noble  dignity.  "  I  am  prepared  for 
you.  A  bullet  is  swifter  than  your  arm,  and  makes 
me  superior  to  your  brute  force.  A  ftiarriage,  con 
ceived  and  consummated  by  such  fraud,  is  void  before 
God  and  man.  All  the  proofs  of  your  infamy  are  in 
my  hands.  This  is  a  sufficient  explanation  of  my 
conduct.  My  sole  wish  in  life  is  to  be  relieved  of  the 
disgrace  of  your  name  and  have  back  that  of  my  noble 
husband.  To  die  called  Risk  would  be  the  worst  part 
of  death — to  have  Risk  on  my  coffin,  like  the  torment 
everlasting." 

"I  cannot  deny,"  he  said,  with  a  beseeching  and 
apologetic  tone,  "that  circumstances  seem  against  me. 
But  give  me  time  for  explanation.  I  implore  you  not 
to  drive  me  to  vengeance  and  despair." 

"Ha!  you  beg!"  she  cried,  with  scorn.  "You  have 
committed  the  crime  and  would  evade  the  penalty.  No 
uncommon  thing  for  culprits.  You  shall  make  restitu 
tion.  Sign  that  check  on  the  table  for  half  a  million 
of  dollars  or  take  the  consequences ! " 

"And  what,  if  I  refuse,"  he  roared  forth,  with  all 
the  recovered  energy  of  his  nature. 

"Where  were  you  last  night,  Lyman  Risk?"  she 
inquired,  with  a  look  piercing  into  his  soul.  "Why 
did  you  not  claim  your  bride  ?  Why  were  you  not  in 
your  house  ?  Why  did  I  see  you  stealing  here  in  the 
morning  gloom  like  a  guilty  ghost  ?  Because  you 


THE    DIVORCE.  229 

knew  that  you  had  obtained  my  hand  by  fraud  and 
had  none  of  the  rights  of  a  lawful  husband.  Where 
were  you  ?  What  were  you  doing  ?  Tell  me,  if  you 
dare !  " 

Mrs.  Neville  knew  not  the  import  and  effect  of  her 
own  words.  Risk  shrieked,  cowered  and  trembled. 
All  the  look  of  age  came  back  to  him  in  an  instant, 
and  he  seemed  bent  and  pitiable  in  his  decrepitude. 
Holding  his  hands  before  his  eyes,  he  averted  his  face 
as  if  to  avoid  some  image  of  blood  and  horror.  To 
him  were  visible  two  writhing  shapes  not  seen  by  Mrs. 
Neville,  who  had  unconsciously  thundered  into  his 
guilty  soul.  He  staggered  and  almost  fell,  and  then, 
going  in  silence  to  the  table,  took  the  pen  and  signed 
his  name  to  the  check.  Having  done  this,  he  placed 
his  hands  on  his  face,  and,  leaning  on  the  desk,  uttered 
a  groan  that  seemed  to  come  out  of  hell. 

Mrs.  Neville  was  touched  with  this  extremity  of 
suffering.  But  she  could  not  leave  her  work  half 
accomplished. 

"Now,"  she  said,  with  a  commanding  voice  and 
dignity,  "you  must  leave  this  house.  I  cannot  go 
away  until  the  divorce  is  procured  and  I  will  not  live 
with  you  under  the  same  roof.  I  must  therefore  say 
to  you  leave,  and  leave  immediately." 

The  ruined  wretch  arose  and  looked  around  him 
with  a  blank  and  beseeching  despair.  Tottering 
through  the  door,  he  descended  the  stairs  and  left 
the  dwelling.  Mrs.  Neville  touched  the  bell  for  Midge, 
and  sank  down  exhausted  on  her  sofa. 


CHAPTER   XV 

INTER    OCEANIC     DEPOT    CONFLAGRATION. 

his  departure  from  his  home, 
Lyman  Risk  proceeded  at  once  to 
his  apartments  in  the  INTER  OCEANIC 
DEPOT.  Planning  and  Slykes,  by  a 
species  of  sympathetic  instinct,  had 
also  taken  refuge  there,  so  that  the  three 
confederates  found  themselves  living  to 
gether  at  the  chief  center  of  their  business 
and  their  power.  Indeed,  the  place  and 
a  desultory  life  were  most  in  harmony 
with  the  tastes  and  habits  of  the  men  who 
appeared  to  be  reduced  to  their  proper 
position  and  dimensions.  Their  palatial  homes  were, 
after  all,  not  suitable  for  their  residences. 

When  Risk  was  first  seen  by  his  friends,  they  were 
astounded  by  his  changed  appearance,  and  especially 
at  the  color  of  his  hair. 

"Why,  Lyman,"  burst  forth  Slykes,  in  amazement, 
"what's  the  matter,  old  fellow?  What  has  happened 
to  you  ?  Your  hair's  white  as  cold  steam  on  a  frosty 
morning." 

"Stop  your  nonsense,  Sam,"  said  Risk,  peevishly. 
"I  am  in  no  mood  for  such  talk  and  I  won't  stand 


INTER    OCEANIC    DEPOT    CONFLAGRATION.  233 

it.  We  are  in  great  danger.  It's  no  time  for  jokes." 
"  But  it's  a  fact,  old  boy.  You're  like  a  goose 
berry  bush  in  an  October  snow.  What's  done  it  ? 
Frightened  white  by  wedding  music  !  At  this  rate, 
you'll  be  bald  as  a  brass  cylinder  in  a  month." 

"You're  a  fool,  Slykes,  and  I'll  have  none  of  this," 
Risk  replied,  suddenly  rising  and  ready  to  strike  his 
friend  to  the  floor. 

"But,"  interposed  Planning,  "Sam  is  right,  Lyman. 
You  should  not  be  angry  in  this  way.  We  have 
enough  to  do  without  fighting  each  other.  The  change 
is  remarkable,  and  the  sooner  you  know  it  the  better. 
Step  to  the  glass." 

He  had  not  seen  himself  in  a  mirror  since  the 
dreadful  occurrences  we  have  related.  A  glance  at 
his  image  struck  horror  to  his  soul.  He  saw  not 
Lyman  Risk,  but  a  bowed  old  man,  with  a  hoary 
head,  a  white  beard,  and  cheeks  sunken  and  ghastly. 
The  sight  was  so  appalling  that  he  sank  down  on  a 
chair  with  a  groan,  and  lifted  his  hands  before  his 
eyes,  which  were  staring  at  some  spectacle  of  terror  to 
others  invisible.  He  sat  for  some  minutes  in  a  pro 
found  and  despairing  silence,  which  made  his  friends 
speechless  in  his  presence.  Suddenly  arousing  him 
self,  Risk  cried  : 

"Brandy,   Coolie,   for  Heaven's   sake,   brandy!" 
The   bottle   was   brought,   and  he    drained  glass  after 
glass,   until  his  nerves   were  strengthened,   without  pro 
ducing  the  slightest  intoxication,       Under  ordinary  cir 
cumstances,  he   would    have    been  fevered    and  frenzied 


234  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

by  such  potations.  Rallying  himself  with  a  prodigious 
effort,  he  said  : 

"Now  to  business.  Our  affairs  are  in  a  most  dan 
gerous  condition.  We  will  sit  around  this  table  and 
discuss  the  situation." 

The  three  confederates  seated  themselves  in  their 
accustomed  places,  and  began  to  talk  as  usual.  In 
their  most  serious  affairs  had  always  been  mingled 
jokes  and  jollities.  Before  coming  to  the  perils  of  the 
hour,  Planning,  attempting  to  excite  his  President  to 
greater  cheerfulness,  said,  in  a  bright  and  bantering 
tone  : 

"Lyman,  you  look  blue  as  well  as  white.  Your 
honeymoon  showing  horns  already !  Pushing  you  out 
of  your  own  house  !  Rather  soon  for  such  a  tumble." 

"Coolie,"  he  replied,  fretfully,  "I  am  sore  on  that 
subject ;  I  do  not  wish  you  to  name  it." 

Planning  was  not  to  be  so  easily  baffled.  Before 
getting  under  the  shadow  of  their  troubles,  he  deter 
mined  to  evoke  a  flash  of  good  humor,  and,  turning 
to  Slykes,  said : 

"Then  I'll  take  my  fun  out  of  Sam.  He,  too,  is 
in  the  dumps.  Failed  to  make  up  his  matrimonial 
losses  !  Can't  get  another  cylinder,  my  locomotive 
widower !  Like  a  broken  engine  waiting  for  repairs ! 
Long  time  before  you're  mended  and  on  the  road 
again." 

"I  confess,  Coolie,  I  feel  black  as  a  furnace  when 
the  fire's  out,"  said  Slykes,  for  the  first  time  showing 
despondency.  "Not  Widdership,  but  the  INTER  OCEANIC 


INTER    OCEANIC    DEPOT    CONFLAGRATION.  235 

bothers  me.  Stocks  depreciated,  bonds  worthless,  credit 
tumblin',  debts  pressin',  rollin'  stock  ruined,  track  shaggy, 
bridges  shaky,  engines  crazy,  workmen  grumblin',  shops 
shut  and  mobs  along  the  line— folks  now  on  streets 
hootin'  at  us !  INTER  OCEANIC  must  soon  be  busted 
and  fragments  fly  in'  all  over  this  planet." 

"  Bad  enough,"  Planning  answered,  with  an  assumed 
hopefulness  of  courage ;  ' '  but  we  will  work  on  and 
work  ever,  and  in  the  end  conquer.  By  mortgaging 
our  depot  to  old  Pilkilson,  and  taxing  all  our  other 
resources,  I  have  succeeded  in  placing  a  million  in  the 
bank,  which  Lyman  Risk  can  draw  on  at  any  moment. 
Not  so  bad,  Mr.  President." 

"A  lie,  Coolie,  an  infernal  lie,"  roared  Risk,  in 
desperation. 

"What  do  you  mean,  Lyman?"  said  Planning,  out 
raged  and  disgusted.  "  This  language  to  me !  You 
must  be  crazy." 

"  I  am  crazy,  and  I  will  be  crazy,"  screamed  Risk, 
frantically.  "My  hair's  white  and  my  hands  are  red, 
and  I  see  what  you  don't.  It's  a  lie,  a  ruinous  lie." 

Planning  was  astounded  and  alarmed  in  earnest. 
He  said,  almost  beseechingly  : 

"  Lyman,  you  must  stop  this  !  I  hope  you  will  not 
give  me  the  lie  again.  This  must  lead  us  all  into 
trouble.  I  deposited  the  money  myself,  and  here  is 
my  bank  book  to  show  it." 

"And  I  drew  out  a  half  a  million,"  shrieked  Risk, 
wildly.  "  I  have  married  the  devil,  and  she  made  me 
sign  the  check  with  a  pistol  at  my  head.  It  was 


236  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

made  payable  to  Frank  Livingstone's  order,  and  he 
got  the  money.  It's  a  hot  spike  to  swallow,  and  it's 
burning  me  through  and  through." 

"  Who'd'  ve  thought  it  of  you,  Lyman  Risk?"  cried 
Sam  Slykes,  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  and  his 
head  thrown  back  in  utter  wonder.  "Crazy  as  a 
locomotive,  steam  hissin',  throttle  valve  open,  engineer 
tumbled  off,  and  flyin'  along  a  precipice  with  death 
waitin'  below  in  the  waters.  INTER  OCEANIC  bust 
up,  and  president  gone  mad." 

"Yes,  mad,  Sam;  raving  mad,"  yelled  Risk,  in  fury. 
<f  Three  she  hell-cats  have  ruined  me  !  They  screech 
in  my  ears  !  They  show  their  teeth  and  claws  !  They 
glare  at  me  with  red  eyes  !  Blood  is  on  their  lips,  and 
they  are  screaming  to  gnaw  my  heart.  I'm  mad,  and 
I  have  a  right  to  be  mad,  and  I'll  be  more  mad  yet, 
and  curse  the  man  who  denies  it." 

Risk  rose  from  his  seat  as  he  spoke,  and,  for  the 
moment,  looked  a  maniac.  His  confederates  placed 
their  hands  on  his  shoulders,  and,  by  soothing  tones  and 
cheerful  words,  sought  to  allay  the  fire  and  tempest  of 
his  soul. 

"Take  heart,  Lyman,"  said  Slykes,  slapping  him  on 
the  back  in  a  rough,  good-natured  way.  "We'll  stick 
to  each  other  and  to  the  train  while  there's  a  tie  on 
the  track,  or  a  screw  in  the  engine." 

"Yes,"  said  Planning,  with  a  look  of  determined 
courage,  "we'll  stand  together.  If  we  go  down,  we'll 
sink  from  the  same  last  plank  into  the  bottom  of  the 
sea.  I'll  telegraph  at  once  to  the  American  Railway 


INTER    OCEANIC    DEPOT    CONFLAGRATION.  237 

Bank  to  transfer  our  remaining  half  million  to  London, 
and  then  we'll  burn  our  books,  and  let  the  stockholders 
whistle  for  their  dues  and  shares." 

"  But,"  said  Risk,  with  despair  in  his  tones,  "  we 
can't  get  our  books.  I  have  lost  the  keys  of  the 
safe,  and  forgotten  the  combination." 

"  Worse   and  worse,"    cried   Planning. 

"  Like  losing  the  lever  tha.t  works  the  throttle 
valve,"  said  Slykes,  with  a  momentary  cloud  on  his 
face. 

"  Send  for  John  O'Brien,"  rejoined  Planning,  cheer 
fully.  "  He  has  the  keys  and  combination  •  send  for 
him  at  once." 

A  messenger  was  dispatched.  In  the  meantime, 
the  confederates  procured  another  bottle  of  brandy  and 
a  box  of  cigars,  and  sat  for  many  minutes  drinking 
and  smoking  in  silence  and  gloom.  Risk  often  started, 
groaned  and  held  his  hands  before  his  eyes.  The 
tick  of  the  great  clock  sounded  loudly,  as  if  tolling 
out  some  coming  doom.  At  last,  the  messenger 
arrived,  and  reported  that  O'Brien  had  not  been  seen 
during  the  day  at  his  house  or  the  depot,  and  it  was 
rumored  that  he  had  left  the  city. 

This  struck  a  chill  into  every  heart.  The  silence 
became  deeper,  and  the  face  of  Risk  more  wild  and 
maniacal.  After  a  long  stillness,  Planning  began  : 

"I  fear  this  means  trouble.  That  infernal  letter 
package,  Lyman,  is  my  dread.  An  open  keg  of 
dynamite  in  that  safe,  with  the  thermometer  at  blood- 
heat,  wouldn't  give  me  such  anxiety.  O'Brien's  absence 


238  KINGS    OF    CAPITAL. 

means  treachery.  Those  letters  in  the  hands  of  our 
enemies  will  land  us  in  the  penitentiary.''' 

"  Stripes  on  our  garments  sure  as  brass-bands  round 
a  cylinder,"  said  Slykes.  "  We'll  manufacture  loco 
motives  yet  for  the  benefit  of  the  public." 

"Shoot  me,  Slykes,"  cried  Risk,  frantically.  ''Stab 
me,  Coolie !  Strike  me  dead,  and  make  me  happy. 
I  can't  stand  it  any  longer.  I  have  brought  this 
trouble  on  you.  Since  the  English  women  came  from 
Boston,  we  have  been  driving  on  to  ruin.  Lyman 
Risk  has  murdered  the  INTER  OCEANIC,  and  sees  blood 
and  fire.  Kill  him  !  kill  him  !  kill  him  now  ! " 

Having  spoken  these  words,  the  wretch  fell  back, 
exhausted  by  his  own  frantic  violence. 

While  Risk  was  in  a  stupor,  and  even  Slykes 
benumbed,  Planning  was  stimulated  into  new  energy. 
He  realized  the  importance  of  destroying  the  perilous 
package.  A  doubt  haunted  him.  He  feared  its  abstrac 
tion,  and  that  it  would  rise  up  a  witness  against  himself 
and  his  friends.  Mechanics  were  sent  for,  and  the 
room  was  filled  with  the  jingle  of  keys  and  the 
ring  of  hammers.  These  were  followed  by  the  smell 
of  powder.  Planning  stood  over  the  men,  suggesting 
expedients  and  stimulating  exertion.  Hours  of  labor 
ensued.  Noon  had  long  passed  and  evening  approached. 
The  efforts  had  been  frantic — pounding,  cutting,  bor 
ing,  sawing,  filing,  twisting,  exploding.  Little  effect 
had  been  produced.  There  stood  the  grim  custodian 
in  its  iron  strength,  defying  the  men  who  made  it, 
and  refusing  to  yield  its  treasures. 


INTER    OCEANIC    DEPOT    CONFLAGRATION.  239 

Planning  ordered  an  enormous  charge  of  powder. 
A  long  train  was  laid.  There  was  the  click  of  a 
match,  the  application  of  the  flame,  and  a  low,  thun 
derous  sound,  with  the  vibrations  of  an  earthquake. 
The  vast  edifice  trembled  to  its  foundations.  Windows 
were  shattered,  the  wall  was  bulged  out,  and  around 
were  marks  of  prophetic  ruin.  But  the  safe  was  torn 
open.  The  door  hung  down  on  one  hinge,  the  sides 
were  grim  and  blackened,  and  the  vault  was  filled 
with  the  smoke  and  odor  of  powder. 

Planning  lighted  a  lamp  and  stepped  over  the 
wreck  into  the  dark  passage.  He  examined  every 
thing.  Drawers  were  opened.  Books,  papers,  bundles, 
were  searched.  The  examination  was  a  failure.  Not 
an  English  letter  was  to  be  found.  Planning  emerged 
from  the  gloom  and  even  his  spirit  began  to  sink. 
Returning  to  his  confederates,  he  said : 

"  Our  search  has  been  vain.  The  package  is  gone 
and  we  must  prepare  for  the  worst.  It  is  now  evening 
and  we  had  better  dismiss  the  workmen,  lock  and 
bolt  the  doors,  and  secure  ourselves  against  attack. 
The  mob  will  be  on  us,  and  I  have  prepared  for  our 
escape." 

Nor  was  Planning  a  moment  too  soon.  The  sound 
of  the  explosion  had  startled  the  city.  It  had  also  been 
rumored  that  the  INTER  OCEANIC  deposit  of  a  million 
had  been  withdrawn  from  the  bank,  and  the  people 
knew  that  this  signified  the  wreck  of  the  corporation 
and  the  loss  of  their  stocks  and  debts.  The  unpaid 
workmen  of  the  Railway  were  specially  furious 


240  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

Already  the  mob  was  collecting,  and  bonfires  were 
blazing  in  the  streets,  and  casting  their  glare  into  the 
windows  and  over  the  walls  of  the  Depot.  Planning 
rose  with  the  occasion  and  showed  an  unconquerable 
spirit.  He  cried  : 

"No  hurry,  boys  !  I  have  provided  a  way  of  escape 
through  a  vault  of  our  cellar.  Before  we  leave,  we 
will  have  the  dainties  of  the  season  and  I'll  make  you 
a  speech.  I  was  born  an  orator  and  the  light  of 
these  fires  is  kindling  my  genius.  Sam,  go  to  that 
closet,  bring  out  the  champagne  and  the  eatables,  and 
don't  forget  the  box  of  Havanas." 

The  table  was  soon  spread  and  the  bottles  uncorked, 
and  even  Risk  began  to  partake  of  the  cheer  and  join 
in  the  desperate  merriment. 

Mounting  a  chair  in  the  wildness  of  his  exhilaration, 
Planning  cried  : 

"Now,  boys,  for  my  speech.  Hear  the  American 
Demosthenes,  who  ought  to  be  thundering  in  the 
Senate  instead  of  a  Railway  Depot.  My  theme  : 
DIVORCE  and  KEROSENE  !  Young  people  in  this  country, 
like  Lyman,  marry  for  the  honeymoon,  and  that  over, 
separate  by  Divorce.  If  an  old  fellow  would  send 
away  his  aged  companion,  Divorce  brings  a  blooming 
maiden  to  his  arms.  When  men  and  women  would 
exchange  wives  and  husbands,  DIVORCE  does  the 
business.  Mr.  President,  DIVORCE  will  make  you  happy, 
and  if  it  don't,  then  try  KEROSENE.  KEROSENE,  in 
America,  is  a  popular  remedy  for  pecuniary  diseases. 
When  a  man  is  near  protest  and  has  his  house  insured, 


INTER    OCEANIC    DEPOT    CONFLAGRATION.  241 

KEROSENE  saves  his  credit.  If  his  policy  is  large  on 
ship  and  cargo,  and  he  can't  scuttle,  the  next  best 
thing  is  KEROSENE.  Even  the  marriage  tie,  Lyman, 
can  be  dissolved  by  KEROSENE,  if  you  can  fasten  the 
woman  in  the  building  before  it  burns.  KEROSENE, 
therefore,  is  comfort  to  the  afflicted,  a  preventive  of 
bankruptcy,  a  savior  of  credit,  and  a  friend  to  all 
classes  except  the  rascally  Insurance  companies  who 
deserve  their  losses.  And  KEROSENE,  gentlemen,  will 
increase  the  last  and  brightest  glory  of  the  INTER 
OCEANIC  RAILWAY." 

As  the  champagne  began  to  have  effect,  Risk  and 
Slykes  grew  boisterous  in  their  mirth. 

"Go  it,  Coolie,"  cried  the  latter;  "go  it,  like  a  train 
afire.  You  were  meant  for  one  of  Uncle  Sam's  syrup- 
soothers.  You  could  sugar-coat  the  old  fellow's  pills, 
and  steal  from  his  pockets  while  he  thanked  you  for 
it." 

"  DIVORCE  and  KEROSENE  !  "  screamed  Risk.  "  That's 
what  we  want !  They'll  cure  Lyman  Risk  !  Flames  ! 
I  say,  Flames  !  Hurrah  for  Coolie  !  Hurrah  for  Sam  ! 
Hurrah  for  Lyman  Risk  !  Hurrah  for  Divorce  !  Hurrah 
for  Kerosene !  Hurrah  for  Hell !  Fire  will  burn  out 
blood!  Hurrah  for  Fire!" 

And  while  he  shouted,  the  wretch  also  leaped  and 
danced  in  the  red  glare  of  the  flames  whose  rising 
brightness  flashed  from  the  street  below  through  the 
shattered  windows. 

"Now,"  exclaimed  Planning,  with  a  voice  of 
command,  "This  fire  below  isn't  fast  enough.  Sam,  go 


242  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

to  that  closet !  Take  out  those  bottles  !  Pile  up  the 
books  and  papers  of  the  INTER  OCEANIC  !  Soak  them 
well  with  kerosene  !  Pour  it  over  that  balustrade  ! 
Let  it  run  down  along  the  halls !  Don't  be  sparing ! 
Old  Pilkilson  pays  the  bills  ! " 

Slykes  obeyed.  The  kerosene  had  been  amply 
provided.  Bottle  after  bottle  was  flung  down  the  stairs 
and  broken  over  the  floors  until  the  place  became 
slippery  and  almost  unendurable  by  its  odors. 

"All  done  as  you  ordered,  Coolie,"  cried  Slykes. 
"You're  conductor  of  this  train  now,  and  she'll  burn 
well,  I'll  tell  you.  A  blazing  INTER  OCEANIC  bridge 
won't  be  a  candle  to  this  Depot." 

"Here's  a  match,"  yelled  Risk,  as  he  pulled  open 
his  box.  "  I'll  touch  the  oil.  The  President  kindles  the 
fire  and  makes  flames,  flames,  flames." 

"Hold  on,  Lyman,"  said  Planning,  "till  I  make  a 
speech  from  the  window.  When  I  finish,  apply  your 
match  and  we'll  run  for  the  vault.  Hear  their  yells  ! 
Pilkilson  sits  in  his  carriage  !  The  Livingstones  are  in 
theirs.  Curse  them  all  I  Ha !  Old  Pills,  you  gave  us 
the  •  money  on  the  mortgage.  Your  policy  expired 
yesterday,  and  this  building  burns  at  your  expense. 
He  looks  at  me  !  Good  !  He  grits  his  teeth  !  Better ! 
He  shakes  his  fist !  Best !  A  race  for  our  lives  !  They 
rush  for  the  door !  Now  they  pound  it !  Touch  your 
match,  Lyman !  All  right !  We'll  soon  be  safe ! 
Good-by,  DEPOT  !  Your  smoke  will  ascend  to  heaven, 
where  we  don't  expect  to  meet  it." 

Lyman  Risk  obeyed  Planning's  command.      As  they 


INTER    OCEANIC    DEPOT    CONFLAGRATION.  2±3 

ran  down  the  stairs  and  lifted  the  stone  from  a  con 
cealed  vault,  and  replaced  the  covering,  the  flames 
burst  along  the  halls  and  out  from  the  windows  of  the 
lofty  edifice.  The  mob,  in  affright,  ceased  their  blows 
and  retired  to  a  distance. 

So  effectual  had  been  the  work  of  the  incendiaries 
that  efforts  to  suppress  the  fire  were  seen  to  be  useless. 
Crowds  stood  around  in  the  glare,  gazing  with  a  dumb 
and  paralyzed  wonder.  Night  had  come.  Fanned  by 
the  winds,  the  flames  roared  and  leaped  with  thunderous 
sounds  toward  the  lurid  clouds,  illuminating  for  miles 
the  city  and  country. 

The  building  was  one  sheeted  blaze.  Soon  the  fury 
of  the  conflagration  subsided ;  the  flames  sank,  the  roof 
and  pillars  and  walls  tumbled  through  the  fire  and 
smoke,  and  the  INTER  OCEANIC  RAILWAY  DEPOT  was  a 
ruin. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

NEWPORT. 

RS.  NEVILLE,  after  the  excitements 
we  have  described,  long  remained 
insensible.  She  was  found  by 
Lucy  where  she  had  fallen  after 
the  expulsion  of  Risk.  A  phy- 


sician  was  called,  and  all  the  skill  of 
the  medical  art  brought  into  requisition. 
But  nature  was  exhausted  by  the  trials  of 
many  months,  culminating  in  the  terrible 
scenes  we  have  depicted. 

At  the  suggestion  of  Frank  Livingstone, 
his  mother  called  and  offered  to  Lucy 
her  services,  which  were  gladly  accepted 
by  the  lonely  and  friendless  girl.  After  the  acquaintance 
had  ripened  and  the  divorce  had  been  secured,  it  was 
deemed  advisable  that  Mrs.  Neville  should  be  removed 
from  a  place  which  would  recall  so  much  suffering. 

When  she  had  gained  sufficient  strength,  under  the 
careful  superintendence  of  the  physician,  she  was 
finally  conveyed  to  the  house  of  Judge  Livingstone, 
and  Lucy,  of  course,  had  to  accompany  her  mother. 
Nothing  could  be  more  wonderful  than  this  sudden 
change  from  the  power  and  presence  of  enemies  to  a 
home  among  devoted  and  congenial  friends.  Even 


"The  music  of  the  sea  came  to  her  ears." 
Page  252. 


NEWPORT.  247 

while  insensible  to  external  things,  Mrs.  Neville  seemed 
to  revive  under  these  favoring  influences. 

Weeks  passed  before  the  powers  of  nature  could  be 
visibly  rallied.  Soul  and  body  had  been  under  the 
greatest  conceivable  strain.  Not  only  had  the  mind 
been  torn  and  the  heart  lacerated,  but  fierce  passions 
had  been  aroused,  which  left  behind  them  the  agitations 
of  the  tempest.  Weeks  of  unconsciousness  were  the 
only  conditions  of  recovery. 

Mrs.  Livingstone  was  incessant  in  her  attentions  to 
the  suffering  lady,  whose  eyes,  when  first  opened, 
beheld  this  new  and  faithful  friend.  By  degrees  Mrs. 
Neville  was  made  acquainted  with  the  change  of  her 
situation,  and  when  she  became  able  to  converse,  an 
intimacy  commenced  between  the  ladies  which  was  to 
endure  while  they  lived. 

After  her  strength  was  sufficiently  restored,  she 
was  conveyed  to  the  villa  on  the  Hudson,  and  thence 
taken  to  Saratoga.  Finally,  it  was  advised  by  the 
physician  that  she  should  try  the  virtues  of  New 
port,  and  in  this  most  charming  place  she  rented  a 
beautiful  cottage  adjoining  to  that  of  the  Livingstones. 
Lucy  Neville  soon  became  acquainted  with  all  the 
membeis  of  the  family.  She  and  Edna  were  drawn 
together  by  a  similarity  of  years  and  tastes,  and  their 
intercourse  bloomed  into  an  enthusiastic  friendship. 
While  the  Judge  and  Mrs.  Livingstone  were  warm  in 
the  praises  of  the  fair  English  girl,  we  need  not  record 
how  Frank  felt  and  acted  under  the  circumstances. 

At    Newport,    Mrs.    Neville    rapidly    recovered.      She 


248  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

declared  that  no  place  in  Europe  was  more  lovely,  and 
no  society  more  attractive.  The  sea  was  magic  in  its 
influence,  soon  bringing  back  into  her  cheek  its  Eng 
lish  bloom.  Also  the  consciousness  that  she  was  once 
more  among  cultured  and  refined  people,  soothed  and 
healed  her  lacerated  spirit. 

Sitting  on  a  rock  beneath  her  cottage,  Mrs.  Neville 
would  gaze  silently  for  hours  over  the  ocean  toward 
her  native  land.  While  thus  engaged,  one  morning 
shone  on  her  with  a  peculiar  loveliness.  The  music 
of  the  sea  came  to  her  ears  in  the  waves 
murmuring  on  the  sands  at  her  feet,  and  in  the 
louder  roar  of  the  breakers  dashing  their  foam  against 
an  opposite  crag.  In  the  heavens,  the  sun  poured 
down  a  cloudless  but  softened  splendor.  The  blue  of 
sky  and  sea  gave  intense  whiteness  to  the  gliding 
sails,  and  all  around  were  sounds  and  scenes  which 
breathed  into  her  a  mild  and  healing  comfort.  Her 
heart  melted,  and  her  eyes  suffused,  and  all  the  bitter 
ness  of  the  past  faded  out  of  her  in  the  purifying  joy 
of  that  memorable  hour.  She  was  long  absorbed  in 
her  meditations,  when  she  heard  a  gentle  foot-fall, 
and,  lifting  her  eyes,  saw  Mrs.  Livingstone,  who, 
fearing  intrusion,  began  to  withdraw,  but-  was  earnestly 
requested  to  remain. 

"Pardon  me,  Mrs.  Neville,"  she  exclaimed,  as  she 
stood  ready  to  retire,  "I  had  not  intended  to  disturb 
you  in  this  secluded  place.  Indeed,  I  did  not  know 
that  you  were  here.  Let  me  return  to  the  cottage, 
and  leave  you  once  more  alone." 


NEWPORT.  249 

"  By  no  means,  Mrs.  Livingstone,"  she  replied,  with 
an  affectionate  cordiality,  "  I  was  this  moment  thinking 
of  you.  Take  a  seat  beside  me,  and  we  will  converse 
on  a  subject  of  mutual  interest." 

Mrs.  Livingstone  accepted  the  invitation,  and  the 
ladies  were  soon  absorbed  in  each  other. 

"It  is  strange,"  began  Mrs.  Neville,  "that  in  all  my 
trials  I  have  scarcely  ever  thought  of  my  own 
country.  My  sufferings  were  so  intense,  that  my  mind 
was  always  occupied  by  the  present  anxiety  or  the 
coming  agony.  The  spectacle  of  the  sea  has  recalled 
Old  England.  My  heart  throbs  with  love,  and  yon 
wide  expanse  connects  me  with  my  native  shore." 

A  tear  dropped  from  her  eye  and  rolled  down  her 
cheek. 

"I  can  understand  perfectly  what  you  mean," 
answered  Mrs.  Livingstone.  "  Oh,  as  you  look  over  this 
ocean,  how  lovely  to  your  view  must  be  the  scenes 
you  have  left  behind,  and,  towering  over  all,  grand 
old  Arlington  Castle." 

"Yes;  images  of  England,  fresh  and  fair,  rise 
before  me  with  the  vividness  of  pictures.  But,  sad  to 
reflect,  that  of  the  four  persons  who  left  Arlington, 
one  is  in  the  depths  of  yonder  sea,  and  the  other  lies 
embalmed  in  his  coffin  to  be  transported  over  its 
treacherous  waves." 

These  words  awakened  a  storm  of  grief  only  con 
trolled  by  the  severest  effort.  When  the  violence  of 
her  feelings  had  subsided,  Mrs.  Livingstone  said: 

"We  alone  seem   gainers  by  your  misfortunes,   since 


250  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

they  have  brought  to  us  friends  who  will  live  in  our 
hearts  during  all  the  changeful  scenes  of  our  myste 
rious  earthly  existence,  and  we  trust  afterwards  and 
for  ever." 

"Yes,  oh,  yes,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Neville,  embracing 
Mrs.  Livingstone,  and  weeping  profusely;  "  Heaven 
gave  you  to  us  as  our  deliverers.  While  villains 
were  plotting  our  ruin  you  were  planning  our  rescue. 
I  know  nothing  more  wonderful  than  the  invisible 
spell  which  drew  you  to  strangers,  and  urged  you  for 
ward  under  so  many  obstacles,  and,  at  last,  so  signally 
and  triumphantly  accomplished  your  benevolent  pur 
poses.  Eternity  will  not  suffice  to  express  our  gratitude. 
Your  noble  husband  and  son  appeared  to  be  selected 
and  inspired  in  their  generous  efforts  by  the  ever 
lasting  love  and  wisdom." 

"  We  found  our  pleasure,"  answered  Mrs.  Livingstone, 
glowing  with  joy,  "  in  the  deed  itself,  and  are  more 
than  rewarded  by  our  recollections  of  it,  and  our 
delight  in  finding  such  true  and  worthy  friends." 

"  Do  you  know,"  inquired  Mrs.  Neville,  looking  up 
with  a  hesitating  expression,  "that  the  tie  which  is 
to  unite  us  in  the  future  may  be  closer  than  any  we 
have  yet  named  ?  I  presume  you  understand  what  I 
mean." 

"  Surely,"  replied  Mrs.  Livingstone,  with  pain  and 
embarrassment,  "  my  son  has  not  added  to  the  trials 
of  your  situation  !  His  heart  has  certainly  been 
exposed  by  his  conduct ;  but  I  cannot  believe  that  his 
lips  would  express  what,  under  the  circumstances, 


NEWPORT.  251 

would  be  extremely  indelicate  and  improper.  I 
believed  that  he  would  restrain  himself,  at  least,  while 
you  were  under  our  roof." 

"  And  he  did  show  the  very  delicacy  to  which  you 
allude,"  said  Mrs.  Neville,  "  by  not  mentioning  the 
subject  while  we  were  your  guests.  You  forget  that 
we  are  now  in  our  own  cottage." 

Mrs.  Livingstone  was  indeed  relieved  by  this  sug 
gestion. 

"Still,"  she  replied,  "it  might  have  an  appearance 
of  turning  to  his  advantage  obligations  you  seem  to 
be  under,  and  thus  placing  yourself  and  your  daughter 
in  a  situation  of  extreme  embarrassment.  I  did  not 
suppose  that  he  could  be  guilty  of  so  thoughtless  a 
precipitancy." 

"  Nor  has  he  been,"  said  Mrs.  Neville,  firmly.  "  He 
has  a  true  and  noble  nature,  and  has  shown  in  every 
way  a  manliness  even  his  careful  mother  must  approve. 
Lucy  and  he  are  formed  for  each  other,  and  I  believe 
that  Heaven  intends  and  will  approve  their  marriage." 

"But  may  there  not  be  insuperable  difficulties  in 
the  way  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Livingstone,  anxiously.  "  Frank 
is  an  American  citizen,  Lucy  must  reside  in  England. 
Questions  also  of  property  and  succession  may  arise 
which  will  make  interminable  trouble." 

"I  think  not,"  replied  Mrs.  Neville,  thoughtfully. 
"True  love  levels  mountains.  The  mingling  currents 
of  the  affections  sweep  away  all  obstacles.  You  will 
find  that  apparent  difficulties  will  adjust  themselves, 
and  in  the  end  prove  helps  and  encouragements." 


252  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

"Then  you  give  your  consent  cheerfully  and  with 
out  reserve?"  inquired  Mrs.  Livingstone,  rising.  "And 
your  approval  is  not  enforced  by  your  obligations,  but 
flows  out  freely  from  both  your  heart  and  your 
judgment." 

"I  have  no  doubt  and  no  hesitation,"  said  Mrs. 
Neville.  "I  have  been  sitting  here  to  reflect  on  the 
request,  and  I  not  only  approve  it,  but  it  delights 
me.  No  knight  of  chivalry  ever  more  gallantly  won 
his  lady-love,  and  he  deserves  her  as  a  reward  of  his 
labor  and  courage,  while  she  feels  an  affection  as 
true  and  as  ardent  as  his  own.  To  him  we  owe  all 
we  have,  and  are,  and  expect  to  be,  and  to  enjoy,  in 
the  future  of  our  lives.  The  debt  cannot  be  cancelled, 
but  we  will  do  what  is  in  our  power  toward  its  dis 
charge." 

There,  on  that  ocean  shore,  with  the  sea  and  the 
land  and  the  sky  as  witnesses,  the  ladies  again 
embraced,  and  the  houses  of  Arlington  and  Livingstone 
were  united  in  their  clasping  arms.  After  this 
exchange  of  tokens  and  pledges  of  affection,  and  alli 
ance  they  resumed  their  seats,  and,  after  a  long 
pause,  Mrs.  Neville  remarked : 

"  I  am  just  beginning  to  comprehend  something  of 
the  meaning  of  my  trials.  Since  the  death  of  my 
brother,  Lord  Clare,  the  Arlington  estates  pass  to  me 
as  the  only  surviving  heir,  and  I  believe  I  have 
been  disciplined  for  the  trust." 

"Will  you  explain,"  asked  Mrs.  Livingstone,  "in 
what  particular  way;  if,  indeed,  I  may  be  permitted 


NEWPORT.  253 

to  inquire.  Perhaps,  I  may  be  intruding  on  thoughts 
and  feelings  too  sacred  for  another." 

"  Not  at  all,"  answered  Mrs.  Neville,  warmly;  "  on 
the  contrary,  my  heart  will  find  relief  in  pouring 
itself  into  your  own.  The  dreadful  scenes  of  blood 
and  famine  in  India  hardened  my  soul,  and  long 
separation  from  my  Oscar  made  me  bitter  and  cynical. 
When  he  returned,  I  was  so  filled  with  the  idolatry 
of  my  love,  that  I  became  insensible  to  the  claims 
and  sufferings  of  others.  My  trials  have  melted  my 
heart.  The  woes  of  others  now  wake  the  tear  in 
me.  I  shall  live  henceforth  to  mitigate  human 
misery,  and  I  shall  have  leisure  and  money  for  my 
charitable  plans.  This  seems  to  be  the  meaning  of 
what  I  have  endured." 

Mrs.    Livingstone,    with    deep   feeling,    said  : 

"  Surely  a  fountain  has  been  opened  by  your  sorrows, 
whose  streams  are  preparing  to  flow  forth  in  blessings 
to  thousands.  Bright  and  healing  may  be  the  waters! 
Long  may  you  live  to  enjoy  the  exquisite  pleasure  of 
shedding  light  and  love  over  this  dark  world." 

As  she  concluded  these  words,  Judge  Livingstone 
was  seen  standing  on  the  shore  of  the  ocean,  and 
gazing,  with  his  glass,  keenly  over  the  blue  waters. 
Noticing  the  ladies,  he  closed  his  telescope  and 
came  over  the  sand  toward  them.  As  he  drew  near, 
he  exclaimed,  in  his  gay,  cheerful  voice  : 

"Mrs.  Neville,  I  thought  you  might  like  to  see 
once  more  the  flag  of  old  England.  I  have  been 
trying  to  make  out  that  ship,  which.  I  believe,  belongs 


254  KINGS   OF  CAPITAL. 

to  the  British  navy,   and  flies  from  her    mast-head   the 
ensign  of  St.    George." 

Adjusting  his  glass,  and  gazing  long,  in  silence,  he, 
at  last,  took  it  from  his  eye,  saying : 

"And  I  am  right !  Behold  the  banner  of  your 
country  ! " 

Mrs.  Neville,  trembling  with  emotion,  seized  the 
telescope,  and  looked,  and  looked,  until  her  eye 
moistened  and  her  bosom  heaved.  It  was,  indeed,  an 
animating  spectacle.  Yes !  there,  above  that  splendid 
ship,  in  the  light  and  breeze  of  the  brilliant  morning, 
floated,  bright  and  free  over  the  sea,  the  flag  of 
England. 

The  joy  of  Mrs.  Neville  was  inexpressible.  She 
felt  kindling  within  her  a  renewed  desire  to  return  to 
the  land  she  loved,  and  to  begin  the  work  to  which 
she  proposed  devoting  her  fortune  and  her  life.  Filled 
with  these  thoughts,  she  gave  Judge  Livingstone  the 
glass,  and  asked,  somewhat  abruptly,  a  question, 
suggested  by  a  previous  conversation  : 

"Judge,  let  me  inquire  what,  in  your  opinion,  is 
the  missing  link  between  the  extremes  of  society." 

"  Sympathy,"  he  responded,  instantly  and  emphatic 
ally. 

"Is  that  all?"  she  inquired,    anxiously. 

"In  my  opinion,   all,"  he  replied,   firmly. 
~  "But  will    you    not    explain    yourself    more    fully?" 
she  asked,   gazing  intently  into  his  face. 

"That  requires  a  speech,"  he  answered,  with  his 
animating  laugh;  "and  what  an  Englishman  most  hates 


NEWPORT.  255 

is  an  American  speech.  Johnny  Bull's  idea  of  Uncle 
Sam  is  a  talkative  bore,  with  brass  in  his  face,  a 
twang  in  his  nose,  his  cigar  in  his  mouth,  and  his 
hands  in  his  pockets." 

"And  my  conception  of  him,"  replied  Mrs.  Neville, 
with  a  gay  smile,  "  is  an  American  Judge,  whose 
heart  is  full  of  kindness,  and  whose  lips  are  full  of 
wisdom." 

"Enough,  enough!"  said  the  Judge,  taking  off  his 
hat  and  bowing  gallantly.  "  Such  a  compliment  may 
make  my  remarks  longer  than  your  patience." 

"  Beware,"  interposed  Mrs.  Livingstone,  "  how  you 
encourage  Mr.  Livingstone.  Should  he  begin  on  this 
subject,  do  not  expect  luncheon  until  late  in  the  after 
noon  ;  perhaps,  not  until  time  for  dinner,  and  remember 
that  this  sea-air  whets  the  appetite." 

"  But  my  curiosity  is  aroused,"  answered  Mrs.  Neville. 
"  There  is  an  intellectual  as  well  as  a  physical  appetite 
which  is  to  be  satisfied.  So  I  will  take  the  risk  and  ask 
the  Judge  to  explain  how  sympathy  is  the  missing, 
social  link." 

"I  will  commence,"  said  the  Judge,  "like  Plato* 
Socrates  and  Uncle  Samuel,  by  asking  a  question.  Did 
you  ever  see,  madam,  the  black  and  ruined  walls  of 
the  Tuileries  and  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  in  the  beautiful 
city  of  Paris  ?  " 

"  I  know  nothing  sadder,  Judge,"  she  answered, 
"and  I  have  often  stood  before  them  awed  and 
solemnized  by  my  reflections." 

"And    did    you    ever    observe,"    he    continued,    "the 


KINGS   OF  CAPITAL. 

hard,  and  selfish,  and  repulsive  face  of  Louis  the  XIV. 
in  the  pictures  and  statues  of  France  ? " 

"I  have  more  than  once  studied  it,"  she  said,  "on 
wall  and  pedestal.  Especially  at  Versailles  was  I 
chilled  and  repelled  by  the  countenance  of  the  ambi 
tious  tyrant.  But  what  connection  between  the  face 
of  the  monarch  and  the  ruins  of  the  palaces  ? " 

"Closer  than  you  imagine,"  the  Judge  replied,  with  a 
thoughtful  expression.  "The  face  of  the  king  is  like 
his  selfish  and  oppressive  reign,  whose  wars  and  luxuries, 
followed  by  the  vices  and  the  feebleness  of  his  succes 
sors,  made  the  condition  of  France  insufferable.  Had 
that  royal  family  always  been  kind  and  just  and  wise, 
would  the  torch  of  revolution  have  consumed  the 
monuments  of  the  country  ?  Never  !  When  Love  holds 
the  sceptre,  Sovereigns  rule  with  an  unquestioned 
sway.  Witness  your  own  Victoria!  She  lives  in  the 
affections  of  her  people,  and  hence  the  throne  of  Eng 
land,  during  her  reign,  will  be  firm  as  the  mountain 
rocks.  If  the  people  are  tigers,  mouthed  in  blood, 
they  must  be  shot  like  tigers  ;  but  it  is  not  surprising 
that  they  sometimes  tear  the  kings  who  make  them 
tigers.  Sympathy  melts  down  the  social  barriers.  Any 
government,  monarchy  or  republic,  is  secure  with  it, 
and  no  government  is  secure  without  it,  and  through  it 
must  be  accomplished  all  the  good  possible  from  class 
to  class.  But  remember,  it  must  not  be  that  simulated 
feeling,  which  is  but  the  offspring  of  condescending 
selfishness." 

"But    do   you  .suppose,    Judge,    that    sympathy     will 


"The  face  of  the  King  is  like  his  selfish  and  oppressive  reign." 
Page  256. 


KINGS   OF    CAPITAL. 

please    see    that    it    is    not    you  instead  of  I  who  will 
bring  our  luncheon   late  in  the  afternoon." 

Waving  his  hat,  the  Judge  retired  with  a  merry 
ring  in  his  laugh,  and  left  the  ladies  to  continue  the 
conversation.  After  a  long  pause,  Mrs.  Neville  resumed  : 

"Judge  Livingstone  has  touched  the  deepest  springs 
of  my  being,  and  revealed  me  to  myself.  I  perceive 
that  I  never  had  any  true  sympathy.  My  whole 
soul  centered  in  itself.  All  my  actions  revolved  about 
myself.  No  wonder  the  poor  who  received  my  charities 
detested  the  hand  bestowing  them.  I  felt  I  was  an 
Arlington.  I  spoke  like  an  Arlington.  I  acted  like 
an  Arlington.  The  Arlington  pride  was  the  poison- 
drop  in  all  I  did.  Yes ;  he  is  right  !  he  is  right  ! 
Sympathy  is  the  key  to  the  human  heart  and  the 
bond  of  human  society." 

"When  Mr.  Livingstone  and  myself  began  life," 
said  Mrs.  Livingstone,  "  we,  too,  had  the  haughtiness 
of  wealth  and  rank.  Suffering  also  did  in  us  its  sharp 
work.  The  Judge  accepted  office,  to  place  himself  as 
a  man  of  practical  labor  in  sympathy  with  his  country 
men,  and  this  is  the  reason  of  his  vast  influence.  And 
with  the  same  views  we  have  educated  our  children. 
Nor  have  we  found  it  in  any  degree  necessary  to 
sacrifice  the  refinement  proper  to  our  position.  Indeed, 
this  would  have  weakened  our  power  for  good.  Our 
rule  has  been  to  accept  the  position  in  which  we  have 
been  born,  and  from  that  make  our  usefulness  flow  out 
as  its  fountain." 

"I   see    it   all    and    see    myself,   oh,   in    how  clear   a 


NEWPORT.  261 

light!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Neville;  "you  have  been  not 
only  my  deliverers,  but  my  teachers.  I  perceive  that, 
by  the  style  and  manners  suitable  to  my  position,  I 
must  preserve  the  tie  binding  me  to  my  own  social 
class,  and  by  kind  deeds,  from  the  sympathy  of  love, 
must  distribute  the  beneficence  of  my  wealth  to  those 
in  another  social  class.  Noble  mission !  For  this  I 
have  been  disciplined,  and  I  am  thankful  for  every 
trial  which  has  prepared  me  for  such  a  work ! " 

Forgetful  of  Judge  Livingstone's  injunction,  the 
ladies  prolonged  their  conversation  during  hours.  The 
luncheon  stood  untasted,  and,  in  despair,  the  Judge 
called  Lucy,  Edna  and  Frank,  and  sat  down,  with  many 
a  joke  at  the  expense  of  the  absent  talkers.  As  the 
shadows  of  the  evening  began  to  gather,  Mrs.  Neville 
and  Mrs.  Livingstone  arose  from  their  seats.  During 
that  afternoon,  their  hearts  were  melted  into  each 
other,  and  they  felt  the  glow  of  a  pure  and  lasting 
friendship.  When  the  sun  was  sinking  into  the  sea 
and  the  witnessing  stars  began  to  look  out  from  heaven, 
and  the  great  waves  were  sending  in  the  subdued  music 
of  their  evening  thunders,  the  ladies  resumed  their 
conversation  on  the  piazza,  of  the  cottage,  and  English 
and  American  hearts  became  united  in  the  same  work 
to  be  carried  on  in  monarchy  and  republic,  showing 
that  in  all  governments  and  in  all  circumstances,  Love 
is  the  spring  of  our  best  deeds,  and  our  purest  hap 
piness. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

FEAST    IN    A    JAIL. 


HE    three    confederates,    as    we    have 
seen,    having    applied    the    torch    to 
their    DEPOT,    fled    down    the    stairs, 
lifted  a  cover  from  a  concealed  vault, 
and    disappeared.      Planning    entered 
last,  drawing  back  the  iron  lid,  to  prevent 
suspicion  should  the  building    be  entered. 
Placing     himself     at     the      head     of    the 
party,     he     drew     forth     and     lighted     a 
pocket-lantern,   and  they  proceeded    under 
his  leadership  through  the  darkness. 

They  soon  passed  into  a  large  city 
sewer,  in  which  the  odor  was  almost 
insufferable,  and  were  compelled  to  bend  low  that  they 
might  avoid  the  top  of  the  arch.  Occasionally  they 
had  to  crawl  through  the  liquid  filth,  while  the  fierce 
noise  of  disturbed  rats  was  not  consoling  or  agreeable. 
Where  the  lantern  did  not  shine  too  brightly  through 
the  deep  midnight  gloom,  the  fiery  stare  of  little  red 
eyes  suggested  that  the  place  would  be  comfortable 
neither  for  sleeping  nor  dying. 

Risk  was  wholly  discouraged.      He    had    to    be  kept 
between   Planning  and   Slykes,   who  alternately  led   and 


FEAST    IN    A    JAIL.  263 

pushed  him,  and  in  some  instances  had  to  carry  his 
heavy  and  helpless  body.  It  was  weary  toil  through 
the  smells,  the  darkness,  and  the  vile  compounds.  On 
and  on  and  on  they  went,  winding  and  twisting,  now 
erect,  now  stooping,  and  now  creeping,  always  in 
silence,  broken  only  by  their  own  footsteps  and  the 
rabid  shrieks  and  struggles  of  their  vermin  companions. 

Would  it  never  end  ?  Yes  !  there  is  a  glimmer  in 
the  weary  distance !  Even  Risk  is  encouraged.  Is  it 
the  light  of  day  ?  They  approach  the  opening,  and 
emerge,  not  into  the  beams  of  the  moon  and  of  the 
stars,  but  the  glare  of  red  flames  still  leaping  to  the 
clouds,  illuminating  the  misty  air,  and  sending  wide 
around,  in  messages  of  fire,  the  news  of  the  ruin  of  the 
INTER  OCEANIC  RAILWAY. 

It  was  not  an  attractive  spectacle  presented  by  the 
conspirators.  They  were  dripping  with  slum,  foul  with 
odors,  and  shivering  with  cold.  In  this  pitiable  condi 
tion,  tormented,  too,  by  fear,  they  found  refuge  in  an 
empty  freight-car,  and  stole  a  ride  over  a  track  along 
which  they  had  rolled  in  the  pride  of  princes  of  the 
land. 

After  a  few  miles,  they  secretly  left  their  hiding 
place,  and,  spying  a  skiff,  by  another  theft  crossed 
the  river,  and  made  for  the  hills.  A  mountain  cave 
afforded  them  brief  refuge.  But  the  telegraph  had 
flashed  their  escape.  The  country  was  up.  Officers 
were  on  their  track.  They  were  compelled  to  flee. 
Pursuing  their  way  through  the  most  remote  and  unin 
habited  districts,  they  reached  Canada,  and  embarked 


264  KINGS    OF   CAPITAL. 

thence  to  London.  Here  they  drew  and  divided  one 
hundred  thousand  dollars  of  their  money.  Risk  went 
to  Constantinople,  Planning  to  Melbourne,  and  Slykes 
to  Hong  Kong.  The  lightning  followed  them  to 
Turkey,  Australia  and  China.  Frank  Livingstone, 
guided  by  the  Judge,  was  tireless.  Secret  detectives 
were  dispatched,  and  in  a  few  months  the  confederates 
were  all  arrested  and  lodged  in  the  jail  for  trial. 

Indictments  were  found  for  their  numerous  offences. 
The  day  came  when  they  had  to  appear  in  court. 
Crowds  assembled  to  see  the  fallen  kings. 

Frank  Livingstone  was  there,  like  an  avenging 
angel,  and  they  knew  that  behind  him  was  the  legal 
wisdom  of  his  father. 

They  plead  not  guilty,  until  confronted  with  the 
fatal  letters  taken  from  their  own  safe,  and  with  the 
memoranda  of  Risk.  Hopeless,  they  threw  themselves 
on  the  mercy  of  the  Court,  and  found  it  Justice. 

All  the  world  was  against  their  villainies,  and  as 
they  stood  before  the  people  they  had  plundered,  the 
hate  was  intensified  into  exasperation  which  cried  for 
vengeance. 

Nothing  protected  them  from  violence  but  the  power 
of  the  State.  The  Judge  sentenced  them  to  terms 
of  imprisonment  greatly  exceeding  the  length  of  their 
lives,  and  gave  them  from  the  bench  a  scathing  and 
memorable  rebuke.  They  were  led  back  to  the  jail 
amid  the  jeers  of  the  mob  and  the  execration  of  the 
country. 

While   Risk  was  overwhelmed,    Planning  and  Slykes 


FEAST    IN    A    JAIL.  265 

remained  bold  and  defiant.  By  means  of  a  few  gold 
pieces,  they  secured  the  room  of  state  in  the  jail,  and 
found  spread  for  them  a  generous  repast.  The  lights 
were  brilliant,  the  fire  blazed  merrily,  the  wine  spark 
led,  and  the  table  stood  loaded  with  a  farewell  feast. 
Sitting  around,  the  jollity  began.  With  a  huge  effort 
toward  cheerfulness,  and  excited  by  the  decanters, 
Planning  said  : 

"Well,  boys;  we  had  a  jolly  bonfire,  a  jolly  run,  a 
jolly  ride,  a  jolly  tour  around  the  world  after  the 
latest  fashion,  a  jolly  trial,  and  now  we  are  having  a 
jolly  adieu  to  our  old  life,  and  will  have  a  jolly  intro 
duction  to  the  penitentiary  to-morrow.  Here's  health 
to  striped  jackets  ! " 

"  Coolie,"  cried  Risk,  in  a  tone  of  melancholy  and 
despair,  "stop  this  stuff,  you  know  it's  all  a  sham! 
Our  day  is  over,  and  we  are  doomed  to  prison.  Ha  ! " 
he  screamed,  "  I  see  two  black  faces  in  my  cell. 
They'll  follow  me  there  ! "  and  the  wretch  shivered  in 
his  fears. 

"  Lyman  Risk  ! "  said  Slykes,  with  supreme  contempt 
for  this  craven  cowardice  of  his  superior,  "you  disturb 
my  gravity,  as  the  locomotive  said  to  the  open  draw 
it  fell  through.  You  sit  there  tremblin'  like  a  shaky 
bridge  under  a  freight  train.  Up  old  fellow  !  The  INTER 
OCEANIC  is  bust  into  bits  finer  than  boiler  scraps,  but  we 
ain't  gone  up  yet !  We  are  on  our  mother  earth  and 
will  yet  be  flying  over  her  maternal  bosom,  like  good 
babies,  at  the  rate  of  a  hundred  mile  an  hour." 

"What     would     you     have     better     than     this,     Mr. 


266  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

President?"  asked  Planning,  draining  his  glass.  "Eat, 
drink  and  be  jolly  !  Do  you  want  the  best  wines  in 
America  ?  Go  to  jail  with  money  in  your  pocket ! 
Do  you  crave  the  delicacies  of  the  season  ?  Go  to  jail, 
but  don't  forget  your  money  !  Would  you  be  well 
served  at  table  ?  Still  the  jail,  and  have  your  money 
ready  for  a  tip  !  Would  you  flourish  at  the  top  of 
the  pile  in  Young  America  ?  Get  appointed  Executor, 
or  Bank  President ;  rob  widows  and  orphans ;  compromise, 
and  pay  them  with  regrets ;  avoid  the  luxury  of  suicide, 
and  bring  your  money  to  jail !  Or  is  this  too  slow 
for  republican  enterprise  ?  Then  trade  in  a  hero's  name, 
make  a  patriotic  fervor;  lie  bonds  and  stocks  into  your 
vaults,  hide  your  plunder,  and  then  if  you  can  resist 
the  pleasure  of  blowing  your  brains  out,  come  to  jail 
for  a  better  time  and  a  bigger  steal.  If  you'd  have 
women  crying  over  you,  reporters  writing  about  you, 
the  country  talking  of  you,  commit  a  murder,  set  up 
a  plea  of  insanity  and  get  the  privilege  of  going  to 
jail;  but  be  certain  not  to  leave  your  money  behind 
you!" 

"True  as  St.  Shammius  preaching,"  said  Slykes, 
with  his  Slyky  grin.  "  Old  Pills  pays  our  bills  and 
makes  our  little  ills  in  jail,  after  all,  not  so  bad  as 
your  smashed  carcass  in  a  lightnin'  train.  I  tell  you, 
this  frolic  is  like  a  California  palace-car  with  kitchen 
in  one  end  and  bar  all  the  way  through." 

"Planning!"  shrieked  Eisk,  "you  said  murder!  It's 
an  infernal  lie  !  I  didn't  strangle  them.  Don't  say  so 
again  or  I  may  hurt  you." 


FEAST    IN    A    JAIL.  267 

"What's  the  matter?"  inquired  Planning,  with 
amazement.  "No  English  women  here,  Lyman,  to 
scratch  your  face,  tear  your  eyes  out  and  make  you 
sign  checks  and  confessions  with  a  pistol  at  your 
head." 

"Nor  two  hags,"  said  Slykes,  with  his  leering  laugh, 
"to  face  you  at  your  wedding,  and  make  music  like 
the  devil's  steam  whistle." 

Risk  arose  in  his  fright.  His  eyes  were  like  balls 
of  blood  glaring  into  space,  and  he  moved  his  arms 
in  frantic  gesticulations,  crying : 

"  It's  a  lie  and  I'll  not  stand  it.  I  didn't  do  it.  It 
was  Lyman  Risk's  ghost,  but  not  Lyman  Risk.  Find 
the  ghost !  Try  the  ghost !  Hang  the  ghost,  but  let 
Lyman  go  free  ! " 

After  these  wild  words,  he  sat  down,  chattering  and 
shivering  like  a  frightened  idiot.  His  friends  were 
puzzled  and  astonished  that  the  man  who  had  been 
their  leader  in  daring  should  be  the  first  to  sink  under 
the  mountain  weight  of  their  calamities.  Still  looking 
at  him  with  his  foxy,  inquisitive  eye,  Slykes  said : 

"Why,  Lyman,  we'll  begin  to  think  you  stopped 
with  your  own  hand  them  female  organ-pipes  on  the 
night  of  your  musical  marriage.  No  man  before  ever 
suspected  that  it  was  you  took  the  wind  out  of  the 
women's  throttle-valves." 

In  his  madness,  Risk  seized  a  decanter  and  threw  it 
at  Slykes,  who,  stooping,  escaped  the  blow  and  the 
bottle  was  dashed  to  fragments  against  the  wall  of  the 
jail. 


268  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

"You  lie,  Sam  Slykes!"  he  yelled  frantically.  "Say 
,  that  again  and  I'll  murder  you.  No  man  saw  me  do 
it.  You're  trying  to  bring  me  to  the  gallows,  and 
you'll  hang  there  yourself  for  it."  • 

The  two  men  sought  to  quiet  Kisk.  Clearly  now 
they  saw  his  coming  insanity.  Trouble  and  guilt  were 
driving  him  mad.  Yet  neither  they  nor  any  other 
persons  really  suspected  his  crime.  The  revelation  of 
that  was  reserved  for  the  judgment.  As  he  increased 
his  potations  his  terror  subsided,  but  wine  could  not 
dispel  the  deep  gloom  of  his  soul.  He  said,  with  a 
pitiable  melancholy  in  his  look  and  tone  : 

"Coolie  and  Sam,  you  are  fools  to  make  sport  of 
our  troubles.  We  have  been  arrested  for  conspiracy 
and  arson,  tried  and  convicted  by  a  jury,  and  to-mor 
row  we  leave  for  life  in  a  state  prison,  and  yet  you 
joke  and  laugh  like  stage  drivers  changing  horses  at 
an  old-fashioned  tavern.  If  Sol.  Pilkilson  gets  his 
money  from  us  in  London  you'll  both  be  desperate  as 
I  am." 

Slykes  burst  out  with  a  shout  of    derisive    triumph  : 

"  Old  Quack  can't  come  it,  Lyman !  His  pill  boxes 
are  too  slow  for  our  fast  train.  We'll  snap  our 
fingers,  and  dine  and  wine  on  his  cash.  We're  like 
my  old  locomotive,  '  Nancy.'  She  ran  off  a  bridge 
and  threw  train  into  a  gully.  Some  smashed,  some 
scalded,  some  bruised,  some  drowned,  some  groanin', 
some  shriekin',  some  prayin',  some  cursin',  and  death 
about  generally.  Sam  Slykes  crept  out  of  the  wreck, 
climbed  back  on  the  track,  and  waved  his  red  rag  to 


With  four  hundred  thousand  to  my  credit  in  Europe,  I  don't  fear  any  penitentiary 

in  America."    Page  269. 


FEAST    IN    A    JAIL.  271 

stop  another  train,  and  was  soon  rushin'  on  jollier  than 
ever,  to  make  up  for  lost  time.  And  INTER  OCEANIC 
in  some  way  will  come  out  of  this  crash,  from  jail 
and  penitentiary,  and  be  the  fastest  and  richest  cor 
poration  in  Young  America." 

"All  right,  Sam,"  replied  Planning,  as  his  brain 
began  to  burn  and  whirl.  "  All  right ;  don't  lose  heart, 
Lyman,  over  breaking  stone  and  walking  lock-step  in 
a  stripe  jacket;  it  won't  last  long.  Money  failed  with 
juries,  witnesses  and  judges,  but  has  not  lost  power 
over  guards  and  wardens.  Money  is  a  golden  key 
which  has  unlocked  many  an  American  prison.  Money 
is  a  golden  ladder  up  which  has  climbed  from  disgrace 
many  a  dishonored  corporation.  Money  opens  golden 
paradises  for  rich  bankrupts  until  they  can  repair 
their  broken  fortunes.  With  four  hundred  thousand 
to  our  credit  in  Europe,  I  don't  fear  any  penitentiary 
in  America." 

"I  can't  take  that  view  of  the  question,"  said  Risk, 
sadly.  "All  looks  to  me  hopeless  and  terrible.  Your 
efforts  at  fun  only  add  to  our  misery  and  despair. 
The  past  is  fire,  and  the  present  and  the  future  flame; 
red  and  mocking  flame." 

"  Nonsense,  Lyman,"  urged  Slykes ;  "  drown  your 
troubles  in  champagne ;  pure  stuff,  and  nothing  else ; 
cork  popped  out  with  a  jolly  noise.  How  the  bubbles 
come  creepin'  up  to  the  rim  in  this  lamp  light !  Them 
sparkles  look  like  the  mountain  dew  when  the  train's 
flashin'  past,  and  the  sun's  just  climbin'  the  mornin'. 
But  they're  better,  old  fellow.  They've  life  in  them, 


272  KINGS   OF  CAPITAL. 

hope  in  them,  joy  in  them.  They  warm  heart  and 
brain,  while  mountain  dew  is  only  good  for  the  eyes 
of  picnic  misses  on  an  excursion  train.  Here's  resur 
rection  to  the  INTER  OCEANIC!" 

After  they  had  drunk  and  Risk  seemed  revived, 
Planning  said  : 

"I  never  thought  Frank  Livingstone  had  such  pluck 
in  him.  How  did  he  get  that  package  ?  Without 
the  letters  we  could  not  have  been  convicted.  I 
always  dreaded  them  like  destiny.  Young  Livingstone 
threw  the  shell  that  exploded  us  to  ruin.  Curse  him 
for  it ! "  exclaimed  Planning,  gnashing  his  teeth  and 
repeating  the  words  with  a  frightful  emphasis  of  hate, 
"  curse  him  and  all  the  brood  to  a  thousand  genera 
tions!" 

Lyman  Risk  sat  in  suppressed  and  tormenting  silence. 
Occasionally  he  appeared  gazing  into  vacancy  and 
then  would  compress  his  eyelids  as  if  he  did  not  wish 
to  see. 

After  a  brief  quiet,    Sam   Slykes  burst  out : 

"  Frank  Livingstone  flung  the  shell,  but  the  Judge 
put  in  the  powder  and  laid  the  train.  The  old  man 
in  his  study  threw  the  INTER  OCEANIC  off  the  track, 
and  kindled  the  fire  that  burned  it  up." 

"Now,"  said  Planning,  "  I  have  a  proposition  to 
make.  The  excitements  of  our  trial  are  over  and  we 
have  plenty  of  time  to-night.  Let  us  relate  our  adven 
tures  in  foreign  countries.  A  tour  around  the  world 
is  all  the  rage,  and  we  have  accommodated  ourselves 
to  .the  reigning  fashion.  Let  us  light  fresh  cigars, 


FEAST    IN    A    JAIL.  273 

take  another  drink,  and  then,  Sam,  do  you  begin  with 
your  veracious  story." 

The  conspirators  readily  complied  with  the  sugges 
tion,  and  Slykes  soon  began : 

"That  mile  of  rats  astonished  me,  a  screechin'  and 
a  creepin'  round  my  feet,  with  their  eyes  glarin'  like 
young  headlights ;  came  out  of  sewer  like  a  spattered 
locomotive ;  a  tramp's  ride  in  a  freight  car,  and  a 
scatter  from  our  cave  like  wreckers  from  a  train 
they've  keeled  over  by  a  cross  tie.  After  our  meetin' 
in  Canada  and  pleasure  sail  to  London,  Sam  Slykes 
brought  up  in  Hong  Kong.  Lived  among  the  only 
celestials  he'll  ever  know,  and  sported  a  pig-tail. 
Never  had  a  better  time.  Like  an  excursion  picnic 
every  day.  Worshipped  Uncle  Joss,  burned  papers  to 
him,  offered  sweet  cakes  to  the  ghosts  of  my  ancestors, 
fed  with  chop  sticks,  and  played  the  dumb  man  that 
couldn't  speak  his  vernacular.  Wouldn't  do.  Uncle 
Sam's  lightnin'  was  too  smart  for  me ;  caught  me  by 
my  pig-tail,  shot  me  over  the  Pacific  ocean,  landed 
me  in  California,  and  hurried  me  to  this  flourishing 
Metropolis,  to  drink  champagne  in  jail.  But  I'll  soon 
raise  the  stars  and  stripes  over  the  INTER  OCEANIC, 
and  we'll  be  flyin'  over  the  world  with  the  best  of 
them  yet." 

"And  I,"  cried  Planning,  with  a  gleaming  eye  and 
a  clear,  piercing  tone,  "  will  tell  you  what  you  never 
heard  before.  After  our  separation  at  the  cave,  I 
came  out  at  the  river,  with  the  whole  country,  yelling 
like  bloodhounds,  at  my  heels.  I  made  for  a  high 


274  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

rock,  climbed  it,  and  stood  on  a  jutting  crag,  from 
which  I  leaped  a  hundred  feet  sheer  into  the  water. 
Striking  the  bottom,  I  sprang  back  to  the  surface,  swam 
and  reached  the  opposite  shore,  pushing  on  until  I  joined 
you  in  Canada.  After  leaving  London,  I  took  steamer 
for  Melbourne,  and  played  the  Englishman,  and  hid 
in  a  gold  mine.  It  wouldn't  answer.  One  evening, 
after  a  hard  day's  work,  amid  the  infernal  chill  and 
gloom  in  the  lamp-light  from  my  cap,  as  I  emerged 
in  my  soiled  suit,  I  was  arrested,  taken  to  the 
Australian  capital,  ironed  in  the  hold  of  a  vessel,  and 
brought  to  this  jolly  feast,  where  J.  Coolie  Planning 
swears  he'll  persevere  until  he  is  crowned  Railway 
King  of  America.  Curses  on  his  takers,  and  deliver 
ance  when  our  time  comes ! " 

''Do  you  think,  Coolie,  we'll  ever  get  out,"  asked 
Sam,  despondingly.  "  Slim  chance  in  my  opinion. 
Whistle  to  keep  courage  up,  but  it's  all  gammon.  But 
hope  or  no  hope,  Sam  Slykes  will  stand  by  the  throttle 
valve,  while  there's  a  stick  in  his  tender,  a  coal  in 
his  furnace,  a  pound  of  steam  in  his  boiler,  a  screw 
in  his  engine,  or  a  rail  on  his  track.  When  he 
leaves  it,  you'll  find  some  collidin'  train  has  flung  his 
handsome  body  from  the  cow-catcher  higher  toward 
heaven  than  his  soul  will  ever  be." 

"  That's  spirit,  Sam,"  roared  Planning,  grasping 
Slykes'  hand,  and,  under  the  power  of  wine  and 
brandy,  nearly  shaking  his  sharp  fingers  off.  "I  like 
your  pluck,  and  I'll  fight,  if  I'm  to  live  chained  in  a 
cell  and  to  be  swung  out  of  life  on  a  gallow's  rope." 


FEAST    IN    A    JAIL.  275 

"  True  grit,  Coolie,"  said  Slykes,  in  turn  wildly  and 
violently  shaking  the  hand  of  Planning.  "Your 
words  ring  sharp  as  a  sound  car  wheel  under  a  steel 
hammer." 

"Now,  Lyman,"  resumed  Planning,  "let  us  have 
your  story,  last  and  best,  to  crown  our  feast.  Imagine 
yourself,  after  a  full  glass,  on  your  old  coach-box, 
whip  and  rein  in  hand,  stage  full,  passengers  jolly, 
horses  fed,  rubbed  and  champing  for  a  start,  road 
smooth,  birds  singing,  and  all  nature  laughing  and 
saying,  '  Go  it,  boys ! '  Better,  after  all,  those  slow 
days  than  our  fast  times.  If  the  stage-horse  was  a 
snail  beside  the  steam-horse,  he  made  fewer  smash- 
ups,  and  was  a  good  deal  honester  animal.  Lyman 
Risk  was  happier  on  his  coach-box  than  on  the  throne 
of  the  INTER  OCEANIC." 

"Don't  talk  of  it,  Coolie!"  cried  Risk,  in  an  agony. 
"You're  driving  me  crazy.  The  thought  of  my  happy 
old  stage,  Amelia,  kills  me.  And  them  horses,  them 
free,  jolly,  honest  horses.  The  memory  of  it  burns  me 
like  fire.  Then  those  girls  loved  me  and  I  ruined 
them.  It's  too  much.  The  English  woman  brought 
more  trouble,  and  I  went  down,  down,  down,  to  this 
jail.  In  Constantinople  I  dyed  this  white  head  black, 
and  my  beard,  too.  I  put  on  a  turban  and  a  Turk's 
dress,  and  went  to  the  mosque  to  say  my  prayers  and 
ask  Heaven  to  forgive  me.  I  tell  you,  it  wouldn't  do. 
The  two  women  stood  over  me,  and  my  prayers 
couldn't  get  above  them.  They  shut  me  out  of  heaven 
into  flames,  flames,  flames  !  This  room  is  fire  !  Put  it 


276 


KINGS    OF    CAPITAL. 


out !  I'm  fire  myself.  I  say,  put  it  out  !  Fire,  fire, 
fire !  Stamp  it  out,  Sam !  Water,  water !  Throw  it 
on,  Coolie!  Quick,  quick!  Fire,  fire,  fire!" 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

LOVE    ON    THE    MOONLIT    SEA. 

SUMMER  moon,  red,  large,  and 
round  was  sailing  up  out  of  the 
sea,  like  a  spirit  of  the  light,  and 
flinging  its  silver  over  the  waves. 
The  evening  star  beamed,  bright 
in  the  heavens,  and  all  the  glit 
tering  host  sparkled  in  the  blue  of  the  sky 
and  of  the  ocean,  while  between  the  bril 
liant  concaves  glided  a  sail,  and  in  the  stern 
of  a  white,  graceful  boat  could  be  seen  a 
man  and  woman  in  low,  earnest  conver 
sation.  The  waves  broke  in  music  at  the 
bow  of  the  slight  craft,  while  behind  it  was  a  trail  of 
splendors  blazing  into  gold. 

Frank  Livingstone  and  Lucy  Neville  are  the  persons 
we  have  noticed,  and  were  taking  an  evening  sail. 
The  lights  of  Newport  could  be  seen  glancing  in  the 
distance.  Indeed,  the  keen  gaze  could  detect  the  misty 
outlines  of  the  shores  in  the  brightening  moonlight. 
The  low  thunder  of  a  steamer's  wheels  boomed  across 
the  waves,  her  sails  were  dimly  visible,  and  her  green 
and  red  lights,  moving  rapidly,  gave  interest  and 
animation  to  the  scene. 


278  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

"I  am  considered  a  practical  fellow,  Lucy,"  said 
Frank  Livingstone.  "  A  lawyer  by  profession  and  prefer 
ence,  seeing  constantly  human  nature  in  its  worst 
aspects,  and  yet  I  believe  that  there  is  nothing  so  true 
as  the  true  love  of  true  hearts.  Nor  is  this  with  me 
either  fancy  or  sentiment.  I  believe  it  on  the  facts." 

"Well,  Frank,"  replied  the  beautiful  girl,  smiling 
in  the  moonlight,  "I  am  not  disposed  to  doubt  your 
proposition.  Before  this  particular  tribunal  you  will 
not  have  to  establish  it  by  any  labored  argument.  I 
have  seen  the  proof  of  it  all  my  life  in  my  own 
father  and  mother,  and  my  woman's  instincts  tell  me 
thart  it  is  so." 

"But,"  continued  Frank,  "it  must  be  love  founded 
on  mutual  sympathies.  It  implies  subtle  and  mys 
terious  affinities  beyond  the  power  of  words.  Where 
these  exist,  the  tie  between  hearts  is  immortal.  And 
yet  there  is  so  much  sham  in  the  married  state,  so 
many  separations  and  divorces,  so  much  misery,  so 
many  bleeding  hearts  and  dishonored  lives,  that  our 
theory  is  rudely  shaken.  I  do  not  wonder  that 
cynics  snarl  and  satirists  ridicule,  and  that  the  world 
pronounces  marriage  founded  on  affection,  a  myth,  and 
what  you  and  I  believe,  romantic  and  sentimental 
stuff." 

"This  is  true,"  said  Lucy;  "but  I  find  my  answer 
at  home.  Oh,  could  you  have  seen  the  devotion  of 
papa  at  Delhi,  his  anxiety,  his  courage,  his  tender 
ness  to  mamma,  his  delicacy  and  generosity  during 
years,  and  her  return  in  confidence  and  admiration, 


LOVE    ON    THE    MOONLIT    SEA.  279 

I  had  almost  said  adoration,  you  could  no  more  doubt 
the  power  of  love  than  the  power  of  mind  or  the 
power  of  muscle.  I  have  seen  it  from  my  infancy, 
brightening  their  lives,  and  know  as  well  that  its  light 
shone  over  our  home  as  I  know  that  yon  moon  is 
illuminating  these  waves." 

As  she  spoke,  she  pointed  upward  to  the  luminary 
flinging  glory  over  the  sea. 

"Yes,"  answered  Frank,  "I  have  had  similar  proof 
in  my  own  home.  Affection  gives  it  a  charm  noth 
ing  else  can  bestow.  I  could  as  easily  believe  those 
stars  will  drop  this  instant,  to  be  extinguished  in  the 
waves,  as  that  love  could  fade  out  of  the  hearts  of 
my  father  and  my  mother.  I  am  not  insensible  to 
gifts  of  birth,  wealth  and  culture,  but,  above  all,  I  hold 
the  union  of  true  hearts  to  be  the  only  foundation 
for  a  household.  This  is  the  ordination  of  Heaven, 
and  lies  deep  in  the  nature  of  man." 

"Dear  Frank,"  she  replied,  looking  sweetly  into  his 
face,  and  speaking  in  a  low,  tender  tone,  "I  believe 
we  have  found  this  secret  of  life.  Until  we  have 
been  tested,  it  is  not  becoming  to  boast,  yet  I  think 
our  marriage  will  bring  enduring  happiness.  You 
have  won  me,  Frank  and  you  deserve  me,  and  I  will 
be  glad  ever  to  testify  my  grateful  love,  and  prove 
in  our  hard  and  cold  age  that  the  bloom  of  the  affec 
tions  is  as  real  as  that  of  the  flowers,  yet  not  fragile, 
nor  perishing,  but  eternal." 

"  Lucy,  may  I  tell  you  a  secret  you  Jiave  not 
known?"  inquired  Frank,  laughing.  "I-  fear  my 


280  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

devotion  was  not  any  particular  benevolence,  or  rather 
it  was  the  most  intense  form  of  selfishness.  Once  on 
the  Britannia  I  caught  your  eye  looking  into  mine. 
It  was  a  casual  glance.  But  it  shot  a  fire  through 
me,  that  has  burned  ever  since,  and  I,  the  cynical 
young  bachelor,  went  over  the  world  chasing  you,  as 
wildly  as  any  old  mediaeval  knight  errant  ever  rode 
and  fought  in  behalf  of  the  lady  of  his  heart  and 
vow.  Now  the  thing  is  out.  There  was  no  benevo 
lence  in  it,  and  no  mystery  whatever.  I  was  simply 
a  fellow  in  love.  Lucy  Neville  on  my  shield  was  the 
inspiration  of  this  generous  and  chivalrous  hero.  But 
don't  tell  your  mother,  or  mine,  or  the  world  at  large, 
or  my  exploits  will  lose  half  their  glory  with  the 
British  nation."  Frank  laughed  until  the  boat  shook, 
while  the  sounds  of  his  merriment  rang  out  far  over 
the  waters. 

"You  compliment  me,  indeed,"  cried  Lucy,  "at  the 
expense  of  ma  and  yourself,  but  I  am  not  willing  to 
believe  that  your  actions  did  not  spring  from  the 
sympathies  of  a  kind  heart.  Your  persistence  was 
most  wonderful.  Oh,  without  you,  where,  where,  should 
we  have  been  !  I  tremble  to  think  of  the  chasm  down 
which  we  were  sinking.  It  was  frightful.  The  very 
memory  of  it  overcomes  me,  and  you,  you  Frank, 
were  our  deliverer." 

Tears  trembled  on  the  eyelids  of  the  girl,  her 
bosom  heaved,  and  she  leaned  her  head  on  the  breast 
of  her  lover. 

"You  must  not    forget,    Lucy,"   said   Frank,    looking 


LOVE    ON    THE    MOONLIT    SEA.  281 

down  on  her  with  a  manly  tenderness,  "that  without 
my  father,  my  efforts  would  have  been  unavailing. 
Until  I  called  him  to  my  aid,  I  went  blundering  on 
sadly.  He  untwisted  the  tangled  skein  of  your  lives. 
His  keen  sagacity  was  wonderful.  I  often  marvelled 
that  a  shrewd  old  Judge  of  sixty,  beyond  dreams  and 
fancies,  should  have  been  so  engaged  in  what  seemed 
a  romantic  and  hopeless  chase." 

'•'Yes,"  cried  Lucy,  with  increased  emotion,  "it  is 
amazing  !  Heaven  inspired  and  guided  you.  Oh,  how 
terrible  the  coil  wound  around  ^us !  What  helpless 
strangers  we  were  !  How  strong  and  merciless  our 
enemies !  Think  of  two  frail  women  in  the  power  of 
such  dreadful  men !  Never  can  we  repay  the  debt 
we  owe  you  and  your  noble  father  and  mother." 

Lucy  was  again  entirely  overpowered.  Never  did 
the  cold  moon  sparkle  on  purer  tears,  or  the  bright 
stars  gaze  down  on  a  more  grateful  heart.  The  very 
waves  seemed  to  dance  and  gleam  and  gurgle  with  an 
answering  sympathy  of  joy.  "Now,  said  the  lovely 
girl,  as  her  face  brightened  through  her  tears,  "I 
have  a  secret  to  tell  you.  Are  you  prepared  for  it  ? 
It  is  not  less  strange  and  impressive  than  any  of  the 
most  marvelous  events  of  this  most  marvelous  year  of 
our  family  histories." 

"  You  excite  my  curiosity,  Lucy,"  cried  Frank, 
eagerly;  "  tell  it  to  me  at  once  ! " 

"Just  before  Grandpa  Arlington's  death,"  she 
resumed,  with  deep  and  pathetic  solemnity  in  her  voice 
and  manner,  "  he  was  aroused  from  the  stupor  in 


282  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

which  he  had  been  for  months.  All  his  strength 
seemed  suddenly  restored.  His  voice  became  clear 
and  powerful.  Having  called  mamma  to  his  side  he 
spoke  to  her  words  that  were  full  of  the  glory  of 
Heaven  which  indeed  was  shining  around  his  face  and 
head.  He  then  requested  me  to  come  to  him,  and  his 
dying  command  was.  "  Lucy,  trust  your  SAVIOUR  and 
marry  your  deliverer."  She  could  speak  no  more,  but 
fell  back  into  Frank's  arms.  Long  she  lay  there 
sobbing  and  looking  through  her  tears  at  the  celestial 
lights  beaming  so  ^renely  above  her.  Frank  could 
not  interrupt  the  silence.  At  last  he  said,  in  a  whis 
pered  tone  : 

"This  is  not  the  least  remarkable  part  of  the 
strange  history  of  our  mingled  lives,  and  seems  to  put 
the  eternal  seal  of  Heaven  on  our  marriage." 

He  embraced  her,  and  their  hearts  were  forever  one. 

"  I  have  something  more  of  importance  to  communi 
cate,  Lucy,"  Frank  began  again.  "  I  have  been  pass 
ing  through  a  great  struggle,  about  which  I  have 
thought  it  best  not  to  speak  to  you,  or  any  other  per 
son.  Nor  has  the  storm  passed  away.  I  cannot  yet 
see  a  ray  through  the  cloud." 

"  What  has  disturbed  you,  Frank  ?  However  great 
the  tempest  within,  you  seem  all  sunshine." 

"Lucy,  I  have  been  trying  to  give  up  the  old 
flag." 

"  And  has  Young  America  succeeded  ?  But  why 
make  the  attempt  ?" 

"You,   Lucy,   are  the  cause   of  my  troubles." 


LOVE    ON    THE    MOONLIT    SEA.  283 

"I,  Frank,  I!"  she  exclaimed.  "What  connection 
can  an  English  girl  like  myself  have  with  your  Amer 
ican  flag  ?  Am  I  a  star  or  a  stripe,  in  your  eye  ? 
But  tell  me  your  difficulties." 

"  Knowing,  Lucy,  that  I  could  not  ask  you  to 
leave  England,  I  have  been  trying  to  shift  my  alle 
giance  from  the  flag  of  my  country  to  the  banner  of 
St.  George." 

"  Oh,  I  see  it  all,"  cried  Lucy.  "  A  descendant  of 
old  General  Livingstone,  who  fought  the  British  through 
the  revolution,  canjt  be  drawn  over  to  England  by  the 
attractions  of  any  British  magnet.  Well,  then,  Frank, 
I'll  settle  the  question.  The  magnet  will  come  to 
America.  I  have  been  before  you,  and  thought  out 
the  whole  subject.  Frank,  you  are  my  country,  my 
title,  my  estate,  my  banner,  my  everything." 

"  Thank  Heaven ! "  he  exclaimed,  embracing  her ; 
"but  it  seems  impossible." 

"It's  true,  Frank,"  she  cried.  "I  am  yours  wholly 
and  forever.  Your  home  is  my  home,  and  your  life 
is  my  life." 

Just  then  was  heard  a  louder  roar  of  wheels,  and 
the  noble  steamer  was  seen  to  be  approaching.  Splen 
didly  she  rushed  through  the  waters  in  the  moonlight. 
She  appeared  glowing  and  palpitating  with  life.  Out 
from  her  mast  the  stars  and  the  stripes  gallantly 
floated.  Frank  Livingstone  stood  upright  and  pointed 
to  the  flag  of  his  country. 

"Lucy,"  he  said,  "I  fought  under  that  banner 
during  four  years  of  civil  war.  I  have  seen  it  flying 


284 


KINGS    OF   CAPITAL. 


amid  the  smoke  of  battle.  Torn  with  bullets  and  wet 
with  blood,  I  have  seen  it  go  down  in  defeat.  Again 
I  have  seen  it  float  in  triumph  amid  the  shouts  of  our 
exulting  army.  I  have  seen  it  wound  around  my 
comrades  and  buried  with  the  heroes  in  their  graves. 
Flung  out  over  the  captured  capital  of  the  Confeder 
acy,  I  have  seen  it  blazing  in  the  glory  of  its  triumph, 
the  emblem  of  a  free,  happy  and  united  people.  Oh, 
thank  Heaven,  with  you  I  can  now  live  under  it, 
die  under  it,  and  be  buried  under  it — an  American 
citizen." 

Frank  Livingstone  sat  down,  exhausted  by  his  strong 
feeling  and  passionate  words.  The  noise  of  the 
steamer  grew  fainter,  and  the  flag  could  be  seen 
dimly  in  the  gathering  haze  of  the  sea,  as  he  turned 
his  boat  to  the  shore,  gliding  onward  in  a  profound 
stillness  only  broken  by  the  plashings  of  the  waves. 

He  was  about  to  realize  his  dream,  and  to  contribute 
to  the  eternal  union  of  the  North  and  the  South  under 
the  banner  which  he  loved. 


A  letter,  beautifully  written,  signed  4  Victoria.'' " 
Page  288. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
QUEEN  VICTORIA'S  LETTER. 


ITTLE    Midge  was   standing  beneath 
a    great    tree,    and    looking  at  the 
moon      shining      and       shimmering 
through     the    leaves.       His    artistic 
eye    perceived     the    beauty   of    a 
spectacle     scarcely    surpassed      in 
nature.     When  Frank's  footsteps  were   heard 
approaching,  the  boy  stepped  out  before  him 
to    tell    him   that    his    father  wished   to    see 
him  in  the  cottage  library.     Having  delivered 
his  message,   Midge  glided  away  among  the 
shadows  of  the  elms. 

The  Judge's  sea-side  study  was  a  cozy 
place.  Everything  was  diminutive  in  scale,  but  full 
of  grace,  beauty  and  comfort.  When  Frank  entered, 
the  venerable  man  laid  down  his  book,  removed  his 
glasses,  and  began  : 

"My  son,  I  have  some  matters  of  importance  to 
communicate.  And  first,  I  have  received  a  telegram 
from  old  Pilkilson,  informing  me  that  he  has  secured 
the  London  money,  and  taken  their  last  possible  hope 
from  those  INTER  OCEANIC  knaves.  Now,  we  will 


288  KINGS   OF  CAPITAL. 

leave  them  forever,  and  pass  to  the  society  of  decent 
people." 

"Permit  me,  first,"  answered  Frank,  "to  express  my 
joy  that  our  work  has  thus  been  crowned  and  consum 
mated.  I  am  glad  there  is  no  prospect  in  life  for 
the  scoundrels  but  a  penitentiary  cell." 

"I  have  received  gratifying  news  also  from  England," 
said  the  Judge,  abruptly.  "  News  strange  as  anything 
in  this  year's  eventful  history." 

"Indeed!"  exclaimed  Frank,  with  a  start  of  sur 
prise.  "  May  I  inquire  from  whom  ? " 

"From  the  Queen,"  replied  the  Judge,  with  a  look 
of  keen  satisfaction. 

"The  Queen!"  said  Frank,  in  astonishment.  "What 
can  the  Majesty  of  Britain  and  Empress  of  India  have 
to  say  to  us  plain  republicans  ?  There  seems  no  end 
to  surprises." 

The  Judge  arose,  went  to  a  desk,  opened  a  drawer, 
and  took  from  it  a  letter,  beautifully  written,  signed 
"  VICTORIA,"  and  emblazoned  in  gold  with  a  crown, 
supported  by  two  unicorns  rampant. 

Her  Majesty  recited  the  way  in  which  Judge  Living 
stone  and  his  son  had  rescued  the  daughter  and  grand 
daughter  of  the  Earl  of  Arlington,  a  British  Peer  of 
high  birth  and  great  esteem,  and  then  expressed  the 
royal  admiration  and  gratitude  for  conduct  so  noble 
and  disinterested. 

"  This  is  truly  most  marvelous,  most  unexpected, 
and  most  gratifying,"  cried  Frank,  overwhelmed  with 
astonishment  and  delight.  "In  my  wildest  dreams  I 


QUEEN  VICTORIA'S  LETTER.  289 

never  conceived  that  such  a  compliment  could  be  paid 
to  our  family." 

"I  confess,"  said  the  Judge,  "I  feel  pleased.  This 
letter  will  draw  more  closely  together  England  and  the 
United  States.  It  has  even  a  national  significance, 
and  yet,"  he  continued,  with  an  equivocal  smile,  "I  do 
not  see  that  it  relieves  you.  Difficulties  surround  you 
from  which  there  seems  no  escape." 

"To  what  do  you  refer?"  answered  Frank,  blushing. 

"When  a  man's  heart  runs  away  with  his  head,  he 
is  always  in  trouble.  I  fear,  my  son,  that  is  your 
unfortunate  case." 

"  My  heart,  sir,  has  won  Lucy  Neville,  and  that, 
I'm  sure,  my  head  could  never  have  done.  Such  a 
prize  proves  the  heart  better  than  the  head." 

"Yes,"  answered  the  Judge.  "But  it  is  your  very 
success  makes  the  trouble.  You  can  neither  follow 
your  prize  to  England,  nor  keep  it  in  America." 

"  This  time  you  are  mistaken,  father.  Lucy  has 
settled  the  question  and  decided  to  live  in  this  country." 

"Surely,  Frank,"  said  the  Judge,  excitedly,  "you 
have  not  asked  such  a  sacrifice  ?  After  what  you 
have  done  for  her,  the  request  would  have  been  a 
cruel  and  ungenerous  compulsion.  Your  heart  has 
betrayed  you  after  all." 

"You  should  know  me  too  well,  sir,  to  suppose 
that  I  would  have  placed  Lucy,  even  by  a  hint,  in 
such  a  position.  Her  choice  is  voluntary.  She  prefers 
America.  With  all  her  noble  blood  and  aristocratic 
connections  she  admires  our  republican  manhood.  She 


290  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

is  fascinated,  too,  with  the  scenery  of  the  country. 
In  truth,  she  is  a  natural  democrat,  and  takes  to  us 
as  a  lark  to  the  morning  air." 

"Ah!  I  perceive,"  said  the  Judge,  "this  young 
Arlington  is,  after  all,  a  woman.  She  looks  at  our 
country  through  her  lover,  and  at  her  lover  through 
her  heart.  You,  Frank,  have  given  color  to  our 
landscapes  and  polish  to  our  manners.  I  only  hope 
that  her  decision  will  not  prove  the  caprice  of  a  love 
sick  maiden." 

"  I  will  trust  my  whole  life  to  it  as  the  choice  of  a 
wise  and  true  woman.  We  have  just  learned  that 
the  Arlington  title  perishes  in  Lord  Clare,  and  part  of 
the  estate  will  be  lost  to  Mrs.  Neville.  But  she  will 
inherit  the  castle,  the  London  house,  and  about  thirty 
thousand  pounds  a  year.  We  are  to  be  married  in  the 
little  church  near  Arlington  Castle,  and  after  a  voyage 
round  the  world  in  the  late  Earl's  steam-yacht,  we 
are  to  settle  in  my  own  native  city.  You  must  acknowl 
edge  in  my  case  the  heart  has  managed  affairs  rather 
successfully.  But  perhaps  you  would  have  been  better 
pleased  if  I  could  have  secured  the  title  also." 

"  Not  at  all,  Frank !  I  do  not  aspire  to  have  you 
Earl  of  Arlington.  I  have  something  better  for  you  in 
our  own  country.  I  am  about  to  give  you  some  advice 
that  will  startle  you." 

"I  feel,  father,  that  I  deeply  need  your  counsel, 
and  more  especially  as  I  have  finally  decided  to 
abandon  the  Law,  and  in  the  field  of  politics  devote 
myself  to  the  service  of  my  country." 


QUEEN  VICTORIA'S  LETTER.  291 

"  She  needs  you,  my  son.  You  have  vast  wealth 
and  now  your  training  in  the  study  and  practice  of  the 
Law  will  enable  you  to  accomplish  much  for  our 
Republic.  On  this  very  point  I  wish  to  advise  you." 

"And  on  this  very  point,"  interposed  Frank,  "I 
most  need  your  advice." 

"Never  presume  on  your  birth  and  wealth  to 
patronize  the  people.  Meet  every  citizen  on  the  basis 
of  an  equal  political  manhood.  Let  whatever  deference 
is  paid  you  be  the  spontaneous  tribute  to  your  merit. 
In  no  other  way  can  you  secure  true  esteem  and 
confidence.  Some  of  our  rich  upstarts  grasp  a  poor 
man's  hand  as  a  condescension,  and  hold  office  as  if 
they  were  doing  a  favor  to  the  country.  To  succeed 
politically  you  must  forget  rank  and  riches,  and 
stand  on  your  manhood.  From  the  ways  of  nobles 
and  monarchs  we  were  separated  by  the  revolution." 

"  I  shall  not  forget  the  lesson,"  said  Frank.  "It  is 
better  to  be  a  MAN  than  a  Livingstone.  I  will  try  to 
make  the  thought  mold  my  character  and  guide  me 
in  my  conduct." 

"It  will  be  your  business,  Frank,  not  to  follow, 
but  to  fight  these  apes  of  English  aristocracy.  Coun 
terfeit  coin  is  always  avoided  by  honest  men.  Take 
the  peacock  plumes  from  our  American  Jackdaws ! 
How  many  of  these  vulgar  plunderers  imitate  the 
style  of  lords !  Indeed,  many  kings  cannot  boast 
greater  luxury  and  splendor.  Modern  monarchs  would 
lose  their  thrones  if  they  perpetrated  half  the  iniquities 
of  our  Republican  despots.  Fight  them  till  you  die. 


292  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

Tumble  their  crowns  into  the  ditch.  If  I  talk  longer 
I  will  turn  socialist  and  advocate  the  commune.  I 
sometimes  think  that  every  man  possessing  more  than  a 
fixed  sum  should  be  forced  to  give  the  whole  income 
of  the  excess  to  the  support  of  schools  and  colleges. 
Certainly,  to  relieve  the  poor,  we  who  are  rich  should 
bear  greater  burdens  of  taxation.  Yet  I  am  afraid  to 
advocate  such  measures  in  these  days  of  dynamite. 
As  the  people  outnumber  kings  and  monopolists  they 
will  suffer  most  from  these  indiscriminate  explosions. 
Besides,  assassinations  never  helped  liberty.  Still  I 
would  like  to  clip  the  wings  of  rich  rascals  in  some 
undiscovered  way  that  would  stop  their  flight,  and 
make  their  stripped  feathers  useful." 

"Father,"  cried  Frank,  "your  heat  astonishes  me. 
You  quite  bewilder  me.  What  do  I  hear  ?  You,  a 
Livingstone,  a  descendant  of  Federalists,  a  traditional 
conservative,  avowing  principles  so  radical  and  almost 
revolutionary !  Why  do  you  not  withdraw  from  your 
party,  and  in  your  solitary  integrity  bear  witness 
against  the  times." 

"Never,  Frank,  never!"  said  the  Judge,  evidently 
wincing.  "Like  a  young  racer,  your  impetus  carries 
you  beyond  the  goal.  You  must  not  place  too  much 
stress  on  what  I  utter,  from  the  ardor  of  the  moment, 
to  my  own  son,  and  in  the  privacy  of  my  study." 

"Well,  soberly,  would  you  advise  me  to  work  for 
my  country  independently  of  party  entanglements  ? " 

"  By  no  means,  my  son !  No  man  in  our  republic 
can  be  isolated.  Separated  from  party,  his  influence 


QUEEN  VICTORIA'S  LETTER.  293 

is  lost.  In  every  great  issue,  you  must  stand  by 
your  party,  otherwise  you  will  be  as  solitary  as  our 
obelisk,  and  as  powerless.  Only  through  men  can  you 
reach  men.  You  cannot  move  the  world  from  a 
wilderness.  I  never  knew  a  man  leave  his  party  on 
the  ground  of  superlative  virtue  who  did  not  become 
a  cynical  Pharisee,  declaiming  against  errors  he  had 
made  himself  helpless  to  correct.  The  loftier  your 
position,  the  wider  your  influence." 

"But  suppose  there  are  party  measures  I  cannot 
approve  ?  Shall  I  yield  to  the  whip  ?  Shall  I  be 
lashed  into  a  vote  for  evil  men  and  evil  ends,  or 
shall  I  withdraw,  be  execrated,  and  lose  my  influence  ? 
This  is  the  dilemma  I  foresee." 

"I  confess,  my  son,  a  difficulty  here.  Great  tact 
is  needed  to  follow  my  rule.  Each  case  will  furnish 
its  own  clew  to  your  course.  But  I  shall  advise  you, 
except  under  extraordinary  circumstances,  never  to 
sever  your  party  ties.  A  reformer  may  easily  become 
an  errant  Quixote,  and  spend  his  life  in  fighting  wind 
mills." 

"Thank  you  again;  father,  thank  you  for  your  wise 
counsel.  Strong  in  great  principles,  I  can  yield  in 
particular  measures.  The  tree  sturdiest  in  root  and 
trunk  may  have  the  most  pliant  branches." 

"And  Frank,  with  all  the  monstrous  villainies  of 
politicians  and  monopolists,  have  faith  in  the  people. 
Their  instincts  guide  our  nation  right.  Surely  they 
are  as  much  to  be  trusted  as  kings !  The  Georges, 
the  Charles',  the  James',  the  Henries  of  England  were 


294  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

not  lights  in  our  world.  Usually,  the  French  monarchs 
were  no  better.  Spain,  Italy,  Austria !— their  kings 
were  neither  saints  nor  heroes.  From  Julius  and 
Augustus,  the  Caesars  had  a  rapid  descent  to  the 
Neroes,  the  Caligulas  and  the  Domitians.  Nor  do  the 
sculptures  of  Egypt  and  Assyria  improve  our  opinion? 
of  Oriental  potentates.  TRUST  THE  PEOPLE  !  Whatever 
our  delinquencies,  our  constitution  is  founded  on  eternal 
right,  and  theoretically  our  government  is  the  best 
possible.  We  are  the  outcome  of  the  wisdom  of  the 
world." 

"Father,  after  our  battles  with  corruption,  I  am 
glad  to  hear  these  inspiring  words.  I  do  not  want  my 
souPs  eye  blinded  by  the  mists  of  our  political  marshes, 
He  who  walks  amid  filth  is  in  danger  of  soil.  Much 
with  rascals,  a  man  doubts  himself.  This  conversation 
has.  purified  me.  I  am  like  a  traveler  bespattered 
on  his  journey,  who  has  bathed  in  a  mountain  stream, 
and  who  breathes  an  Alpine  air,  and  I  must  try  to 
keep  my  flesh  and  my  garments  pure." 

"Another  word,  my  son!  Do  not  let  go  the  anchor 
of  your  faith  in  Christianity.  An  old  lawyer  is  not 
likely  to  be  deceived.  After  an  examination  of  the 
modern  objections  of  science  and  criticism,  I  am  firmer 
than  ever  on  the  Eternal  Rock.  The  Bible  is  the  only 
foundation  for  a  man  or  for  a  government.  It  will 
yet  fill  the  world  with  light,  love  and  peace." 

Overcome  with  emotion,  Frank  Livingstone  knelt 
before  his  father.  The  old  man  placed  his  hands  on 
his  son's  head,  and  gave  him  his  blessing. 


QUEEN  VICTORIA'S  LETTER.  295 

The  effects  of  that  hour  were  never  lost.  They 
perpetuated  themselves  in  the  character  and  career  of 
young  Livingstone,  and  through  him  elevated  his 
country  and  spread  out  over  the  world. 

The  center  of  the  circle  of  human  influence  is  a 
point— its  circumference  an  eternity. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

FRANK  AND  LUCY  AT  ARLINGTON  CASTLE. 

OT    long   after    the    events    we    have 
narrated,   a  happy    party  is  on    the 
steamer   Republic,   in   the  New  York 
harbor.       Judge    and    Mrs.    Living 
stone  are  there  ;     Mrs.  Neville  and 
Lucy  are  there ;  Frank  Livingstone 
is    there ;    and    who    is    that    gentleman 
and  lady    standing    at    a    little     distance 
and  admiring  together  a  passing    yacht  ? 
Surely  we  have  seen  her  before  !       Is  it 
not    Miss     Edna     Livingstone  ?       It    was 
Miss   Edna    Livingstone.      But  her    patro 
nymic  has  been  lost  to  her  forever.      She 
is    now    the    joyous    bride   of    Mr.    Henry 
Roosevelt,  Frank's  former  law  partner,  and  his  successor 
in  business. 

And  who  is  that  splendid  little  fellow  gazing  across 
the  blue  waters  .of  the  Hudson  and  glancing  his  great, 
black,  kindling  eyes  over  the  beautiful  proportions 
of  the  graceful  ship  ?  It  is  our  Midge,  bound  for 
Rome,  to  be  educated  for  an  artist,  and  happy  in  the 
prospect  of  his  ample  fortune. 

The  morning  is  brilliant.  Not  a  cloud  flings  down 
its  shadow  over  the  bay.  At  the  mast-head,  in  friendly 


FRANK  AND  LUCY  AT  ARLINGTON  CASTLE.      297 

folds,  fly  the  English  and  American  flags,  together 
streaming  in  the  breeze.  See,  the  vessel  is  drawing  out 
from  the  dock !  The  panting  tug  takes  her  into  the 
midst  of  the  broad  bay.  Handkerchiefs  wave  on  ship 
and  shore.  Soon  the  Republic  is  through  the  narrows^ 
out  on  the  wide  ocean,  and  in  a  few  uneventful  days 
lies  anchored  in  the  Mersey. 

Not  long  after,  the  Church  of  St.  Mary's,  near 
Arlington  Castle,  witnesses  a  gay  scene.  The  cross 
is  gleaming  in  the  morning  sun.  Floods  of  joyous 
brilliance  pour  through  the  stained  windows,  and 
color  arch,  and  altar  and  pillar,  mingling  their  hues 
with  the  bloom  of  fragrant  flowers.  Such  a  gay  and 
distinguished  assemblage  has  seldom  met  in  the  quiet, 
little  church. 

Frank  Livingstone  and  Lucy  Neville  stand  before 
the  chancel,  which  is  wreathed  in  roses,  while  the  organ 
peals  forth  its  exulting  notes. 

Hark !  the  clergyman  is  heard,  and  the  stillness 
becomes  intense  and  universal.  The  solemn  service 
proceeds.  A  venerable  relative  gives  away  the  bride. 
Frank  and  Lucy  are  pronounced  man  and  wife,  and 
then  succeed  the  congratulations  of  relatives  and  friends. 

At  night,  Arlington  Castle  is  brilliantly  illuminated. 
Buildings  and  trees  are  in  a  blaze,  casting  their  light 
around  over  the  land  and  out  over  the  sea.  Nobles  in 
the  house  and  people  on  the  lawn  are  feasting  and 
dancing  in  celebration  of  the  glad  occasion,  which  is 
uniting  two  great  nations  by  another  bond. 

Mrs.    Neville    was    true    to    her    discipline    and    her 


298  KINGS   OF   CAPITAL. 

vocation.  Her  princely  benefactions  in  London  were 
wisely  directed  by  herself,  and  fruitful  in  immense 
good  to  the  bodies  and  souls  of  the  ignorant  and 
suffering  poor.  The  Arlington  pride  had  been  effect 
ually  subdued,  and  she  moved  among  the  lowly  with 
the  hand  and  smile  of  a  sympathizing,  Christian  love. 
Nor  were  her  charities  confined  to  the  British  metrop 
olis.  They  flowed  out  in  streams  of  wise  beneficence 
over  the  earth. 

After  a  voyage  round  the  world,  Frank  and  Lucy 
lived  in  America.  They,  too,  had  learned  in  suffering 
the  lessons  of  humility  and  sympathy,  and  had,  also, 
before  them  the  noble  examples  of  Judge  and  Mrs. 
Livingstone.  In  all  their  relations  they  were  happy. 
The  people  saw  and  recognized  their  merit.  Despite 
their  aristocratic  blood,  they  became  most  admired 
proofs  of  the  elevating  and  ennobling  effects  of  our 
republican  institutions. 


CHAPTER   I. 

THE    BATTERY. 

PRING,   at  the  opening  of  our  sequel, 
was  just  giving  its  last  tint  of  green 
to  the  grounds  about  the  Battery  and 
developing  the  leaves  into  their  Sum 
mer    luxuriance.       A    soft    haze    lay 
on  the  Orange    Mountains.       Staten  Island 
seemed     retiring     into     the     distance,    and 
floating  in  a  golden  glory  shed  down  from 
an  evening    cloud.      On  the  Bay,  the  lazy 
sails    were    gleaming    in    the    setting    sun, 
and    a    huge    steamer,   as    if    panting    with 
its  load,  drew  its  dark  length  through  the 
blazing  waters.      Even    the    sharp    sounds    of    the    cars 
above  and  stages  below    appeared  to  sink  away  in  the 
murmurs  of  the   tranquil  air.        Over  all,   bathed  in  the 
light,    rose  the   spire   of    old    Trinity.       In    the    stillness 
could  be  heard  low  bursts  of  occasional  applause  escap 
ing    from  an    eager    crowd,    who  watched    the  form    of 
a  girl,   balanced    on    a    rope,   stretched    from    the  street 
to  the  roof  of  one  of  those  red  houses,  near  Broadway, 
now  occupied    by  offices    of    the    great    steamship  com 
panies,   but  which,   in    the    days    of    Washington,   were 
tenanted    by  the    federalistic    aristocracy  of  New  York. 


300  KNIGHTS  OF  LABOR. 

Nothing  could  exceed  the  grace  of  the  young  performer, 
as  she  stood  on  the  point  of  her  toe,  grasping  her  pole 
in  both  her  hands,  and  then  running  to  the  eave  of 
the  building  and  returning  toward  the  ground  with 
an  agility  which  might  belong  to  an  inhabitant  of  a 
celestial  sphere.  Her  exquisite  limbs,  her  light,  flowing 
hair,  her  blue  eye,  her  perfect  features,  touched  with 
a  most  pensive  expression,  her  shape  shown  to  the 
greatest  advantage  in  her  bright  oriental  costume  as 
she  moved  aloft  like  a  creature  of  the  air,  altogether 
awakened,  even  in  the  rudest  spectator,  an  inexpressible 
interest  and  curiosity. 

Beneath  the  girl,  and  gazing  at  her  with  a  dark 
glittering  eye,  was  a  lad  whose  cheek  showed  the 
brown  of  an  Indian  sun,  and  who  had  just  concluded 
some  of  those  marvelous,  almost  magical  tricks,  which 
reach  their  perfection  only  in  the  islands  of  Japan  and 
along  the  shore  of  the  Ganges.  He  was  now  eliciting 
from  a  species  of  oriental  guitar  some  sad  and  sweet 
notes  harmonizing  with  the  perilous  occasion,  and 
which,  unconsciously  to  his  audience,  breathed  over 
them  a  mysterious  influence.  The  whole  scene  was 
surrounded  by  a  subdued,  undefinable  charm,  and  the 
actors  were  evidently  beings  of  another  blood  and 
another  clime. 

Apart  from  the  crowd,  and  looking  with  intense 
interest,  were  two  men,  both,  also,  foreigners.  One, 
a  Chinaman,  with  all  the  marked  features  of  his 
nation,  and  gigantic  in  his  stature,  was  in  the  dress 
of  an  American  workman.  The  other,  a  gentleman, 


THE    BATTERY.  301 

tall,  stately,  noble  in  face  and  refined  in  expression, 
with  an  aspect  singularly  benevolent,  was  attired  in 
the  style  of  our  country,  yet  with  a  view  to  his  dis 
guise.  His  English  was  so  nearly  perfect  that  it  would 
be  impossible  to  express  on  paper  the  slight  peculiar 
ities  of  his  tones  and  accents. 

"A  vision  of  beauty ! "  he  exclaimed,  with  a  most 
agitating  emotion.  "  I  have  traveled  over  the  world, 
and  never  have  seen  a  more  exquisite  grace.  What 
say  you,  Ling  ?  " 

Employing  the  address  he  had  been  instructed  to 
use,  he  replied  in  a  strange  mingling  of  Chinese  mis 
pronunciation  and  American  slang  : 

"Siree,  no  Melliken  girlee  like  that  lookee.  She 
from  land  of  flowers,  or  from  moon  down  brightee. 
Me  tjnkee  her  hair  and  her  eyes  from  your  own 
countree,  suree,  certinee." 

"From  my  country,  Ling,  did  you  say?"  exclaimed 
the  gentleman,  with  visibly  increased  agitation.  "  Who 
knows  ?  Can  this,  indeed,  be  she  whom  I  seek — in 
such  a  vocation,  in  this  strange  city,  far  from  her 
princely  home  ?  Oh,  Heaven,  can  it  be  she  ?  Nay ! 
it  is  but  a  dream.  Impossible !  Yet  I  feel  in  my 
heart  a  strange  warmth  and  trembling." 

"May  Ling  ask  how  oldee  she  when  she  leftee 
you  ?  This  she  be  boutee  twelvee  years." 

"Just  her  age  after  whom  I  have  traversed  all 
lands  during  so  many  weary,  disappointing  years  of 
exile.  And  her  eyes  were  blue,  and  her  hair  flaxen. 
Surely,  those  features  might  belong  even  to  an  empress. 


302  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

All  things  answer  to  my  recollections.  And  who  can 
be  that  dark  youth,  her  companion,  with  those  black, 
wonderful  eyes  !  He  is  about  thirteen,  and  has,  in  his 
face  and  form,  a  surpassing  beauty  and  refinement. 
In  neither  of  them  appears  the  degradation  of  their 
calling." 

"Better  we  waitee,"  interposed  Ling,  "and  see  wheree 
they  hencee  go.  Me  you  folloree  when  you  sayee." 

"I  will  walk  after  them,"  said  the  gentleman, 
"and  do  you  keep  a  short  distance  behind.  Possibly, 
there  will  be  peril  in  our  way,  and  you  will  be 
needed.  On  no  account  lose  sight  of  me." 

The  giant  smiled  out  of  his  small  eyes,  and  a  ripple 
of  light  seemed  to  pass  over  his  yellow  skin,  as  he 
answered  : 

"Life  of  me  from  de  sea  you  savee  and  losee  nealee 
your  own— true  me  to  you  as  to  de  ghostee  of  him 
who  lifee  me  gavee— true  all  de  timee  'til  in  de  gravee 
me  go  too." 

While  they  spoke,  two  policeman  appeared  and  pro 
duced  a  visible  alarm  in  the  girl  and  in  the  lad.  The 
latter,  with  quick  skill,  by  a  dexterous  jerk,  detached 
the  rope  from  its  lofty  fastening,  formed  it  into  a 
coil,  grasped  it  in  his  right  hand,  and  his  guitar 
in  his  left,  and  the  two  together  passed  through  the 
opening  and  admiring  crowd.  They  walked  a  few 
steps  along  Broadway,  turned  suddenly  down  a  narrow 
street,  wound  their  way  through  the  most  obscure 
places,  until  they  at  last  entered  a  tall  shabby  brick 
house  above  Fulton  Market  and  fronting  Water  Street. 


THE   BATTERY.  303 

The  gentleman  followed  unobserved,  and  Ling  further 
behind.  Now  the  former  stood  in  a  small  alley,  hid 
den  by  the  gathering  shadows  of  the  evening,  and  so 
situated  that  he  could  see  and  hear  what  transpired 
through  the  open  door  opposite. 

On  a  low  platform,  beneath  a  raised  window,  sat  a 
large  man  in  his  shirt  sleeves  fanning  himself,  but 
reeking  with  perspiration.  He  had  a  princely  nose 
and  forehead,  and  in  all  his  features,  and  in  his 
portly  form,  were  the  faded  traces  of  a  superb  manly 
beauty,  except  that  in  his  restless  eye  and  his  equivocal 
mouth  and  chin  were  sure  indications  that  a  weak 
conscience  and  debasing  appetites  had  obtained  the 
dominion  of  his  better  nature.  His  hard,  cold,  terrible 
expression  chilled  and  alarmed  the  beholder.  The 
youthful  pair  walked  toward  him  with  trembling  fear, 
and  stood  like  culprits  in  his  presence. 

"Ha!  Tippoo !  Lillie !  come  at  last!  But  you 
are  late,  what  has  kept  you  ? "  he  burst  forth  in  a 
loud,  harsh  voice,  distinctly  heard  by  the  listener. 

"We  were  near  the  Battery,  the  crowd  was  big, 
and  we  kept  on  longer  than  we  thought,"  faltered  the 
lad.  in  tones  just  faintly  intelligible. 

"  A  long  stay  makes  more  pay,"  he  answered  with 
a  low,  savage  laugh. 

"No!"  said  Tippoo,  frightened  and  embarrassed, 
"Diable,  we  have  only  brought  you  a  dollar  this 
evening." 

As  the  boy  spoke  he  counted  over  the  money  in 
small  change,  and  gave  it  to  his  master. 


304  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

"You  rascal/'  cried  the  man  in  fierce  anger,  "this 
all  ?  I  have  taught  you  to  call  me  Diable  and  Diable 
I  will  be.  You  are  a  pair  of  thieves.  You  have 
been  loitering  and  lounging.  You  have  spent  my  money 
at  the  candy-stands  and  pie-shops.  I  will  have  it 
out  of  your  flesh,  you  drones  !  Off  with  your  shirt, 
Tippoo  ! " 

Saying  this,  he  seized  a  small  whip  with  a  sharp 
lash  and  was  about  to  inflict  a  stinging  blow,  when 
the  boy,  uttering  a  cry  of  fear  and  agony,  said :  , 

"  No,  Diable,  we  have  not  eaten  one  thing  since 
we  left  you  this  morning.  Here  is  all,  every  cent. 
The  police  came  at  our  last  performance,  and  we  had 
to  leave  before  we  could  pass  my  cap.  Is  not  this  so, 
Lillie  ? " 

The  girl  lifted  toward  him  her  blue  eyes  and 
beautiful  face,  down  which  was  rolling  a  tear,  and 
said,  in  a  plaintive,  beseeching,  tone,  "Yes,  Diable, 
Tippoo  says  true.  That  is  all  we  have  taken.  We 
were  hungry,  'but  we  never  spent  one  cent.  We  have 
not  deceived  you  to-day,  and  we  never  have  deceived 
you  but  twice,  when  we  were  so  faint  and  tired  we 
were  nearly  dead  for  food,  and  a  little  pie  did  so 
tempt  us." 

Her  appeal,  so  touching  and  truthful,  might  have 
softened  a  soul  of  stone.  It  seemed  rather  to  exas 
perate  Diable.  He  appeared  almost  to  foam  and  flash 
with  rage,  as  he  said,  in  a  suppressed,  inhuman  growl, 
such  as  a  ghoul  might  have  uttered  : 

"  You  lie !      You    both  lie  !      You    agree  together   to 


"  NJ?  01   CAPITAL  AND  KNIGHTS  OF  LABOR. 


THE    BATTERY.  305 

cheat  me.  You  are  drones  and  thieves,  and  you  force 
me  to  the  lash.  If  I  don't  have  money,  I  will  have 
blood.  I  have  kept  you  and  trained  you  for  years, 
and  now  is  the  time  when  I  must  get  back  what  I 
spent,  with  interest.  You  must  bring  home  every 
night  twice  as  much  as  this.  Do  you  hear  ?  twice  as 
much,  or  make  up  the  difference  by  your  flesh." 

Saying  this,  he  struck  Tippoo  several  blows  which 
made  him  writhe  with  pain,  and  was  just  beginning 
to  inflict  barbarous  treatment  on  the  more  tender  form 
of  his  young  companion,  when  there  was  an  interrup 
tion  in  a  way  I  will  now  proceed  to  relate. 

The  gentleman  had  called  Ling  to  his  side,  and 
both  were  observing  what  we  have  narrated.  In  half 
soliloquy,  the  former  said,  as  he  gazed  : 

"Surely  I  have  seen  that  brute's  face.  Ha!  it 
seems  to  float  back  from  the  dim  and  far  past.  But 
it  is  impossible  !  A  Prince  of  the  House  of  Ruric 
could  never  be  so  degraded.  It  is  a  fancy,  silly  and 
impossible.  This  cannot  be  the  man  I  have  seen  in 
his  ancestral  halls,  and  among  the  proudest  in  the 
palace  of  the  Emperor.  Yet  I  cannot  be  mistaken ! 
Degraded  as  this  savage  is,  his  features  I  can  still 
recognize.  It  is  he — it  is  certainly  he— and  the  girl! 
I  tremble  to  think  she  may  be  the  object  of  my 
search,  now  sunk  into  such  an  abyss  of  horror  and 
debasement." 

While  these  words  were  escaping  almost  unconsciously 
from  the  lips  of  the  speaker,  the  gathering  rage  of 
Diable  had  begun  to  expend  itself  on  his  victims,  and 


306  KNIGHTS   OP  LABOR. 

the  flesh  of  the  girl  was  quivering  under  his  first  blow 
as  she  writhed  in  a  pain,  the  more  touching,  because 
dumb  and  suppressed. 

"By  Heavens,  Ling,"  resumed  the  gentleman,  "I 
can  stand  this  no  longer.  I  will  go  to  the  rescue, 
and  save  that  fair  young  creature  from  the  villain's 
lash.  We  will  come,  I  foresee,  to  bitter  blows,  but 
under  no  circumstances  leave  your  watch  in  this  place, 
even  if  I  am  in  danger  of  my  life,  until  you  hear  my 
old  signal,  the  whistle." 

Having  finished  these  words,  he  crossed  the  street, 
entered  the  door,  and  passed  down  the  low,  long,  dark 
room,  to  the  spot  where  the  children  stood  before  their 
tormentor.  Seeing  a  stranger  approach,  Diable  looked 
up  with  amazement.  Such  an  intrusion  on  his  domain 
he  deemed  an  impossible  hazard  and  effrontery.  He 
scowled  on  the  daring  invader  with  face  and  eye  of 
vengeance.  In  his  turn  the  stranger  met  the  glance 
of  the  tyrant  with  an  equal  defiance.  The  two  men 
stood  thus  in  silence  staring  at  each  other.  A  hate 
of  generations  seemed  blazing  in  their  breasts  and 
flashing  from  their  eyes.  Finally  the  stranger  inter 
rupted  the  silence  by  saying : 

"Your  evil  name  suits  your  evil  nature.  Only  a 
wretch  would  inflict  such  cruelty  on  unresisting  chil 
dren.  Touch  them  again  and  I  will  fell  you  to  the 
floor." 

"  Who  are  you  ?"  burst  out  Diable.       "How  dare  you 

•  come  here  and  interfere  with  me  ?    These  children  are 

mine— bought  with  my  money  and  trained  by  me,   and 


THE    BATTERY.  307 

are  my  means  of  living.  Begone  !  Out  of  my  house, 
or  I  will  kill  you!" 

"I  will  not  leave,"  calmly  answered  the  gentleman, 
"  until  you  give  me  your  assurance  that  you  will  cease 
this  violence.  I  am  pledged  before  Heaven  to  relieve 
suffering,  and  to  punish  cruelty  whenever  and  wherever 
they  may  be  found.  Beside,  I  now  know  who  you  are, 
and  I  know  who  is  this  child  you  call  Lillie.  I  claim 
her  as  her  lawful  protector." 

Nothing  could  exceed  the  amazement  of  Diable. 
Indeed,  he  was  transformed  almost  into  a  demon.  He 
shrieked:  "Where  do  you  come  f rom  ? "  with  a  look  and 
tone  of  mingled  wonder  and  hatred.  "You  set  up  a 
right  to  my  flesh  and  blood  ! "  he  continued.  "  Let  me 
see  you,  that  I  may  find  out  who  and  what  you  are." 

Again  the  two  men  regarded  each  other  with  a  fixed 
and  intense  gaze.  In  silence  there  was  a  recognition 
which  fed  to  additional  ardor  the  flames  on  each 
breast.  Diable  at  length  broke  forth  : 

"Begone!  I  know  you.  I  hate  you.  Leave 
instantly  or  you  die  !" 

"Diable,  you  know  that  I  will  not  leave  without 
this  girl.  Give  her  to  me  and  I  will  depart.  If  you 
refuse,  I  will  take  her  by  force." 

As  he  uttered  these  words,  Diable  exclaimed : 
"Your  blood  be  on  yourself,"  and  sprang  with  a  low 
cry  upon  his  adversary,  flinging  against  him  the  whole 
bulk  of  his  vast  body.  The  stranger  stood  the  shock, 
and  amid  the  screams  of  the  girl,  the  two  men  were  soon 
clasping  each  other  in  a  fearful  struggle.  In  the  des- 


308  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

perate  contest,  the  walls  shook  and  the  windows 
rattled.  Diable  became  first  exhausted,  owing  to  the 
superior  skill  and  power  of  his  adversary,  and,  under  a 
rain  of  terrible  blows,  w^as  covered  with  blood  and  lay 
almost  dead  on  the  floor.  The  stranger  arose,  felt  the 
pulse  of  his  prostrate  foe,  and,  seeing  that  life  was  not 
in  peril,  turned  round  with  anxious  gaze  to  find  the 
girl.  His  heart  sank  as  he  perceived  her  gone.  The 
object  of  his  search,  just  in  his  grasp,  had  vanished, 
perhaps  forever.  Years  of  weary  waiting  were  in  the 
agony  of  his  glance.  Perceiving  pursuit  impossible,  he 
retired,  and  joining  Ling,  was  followed  by  him  to  the  hotel. 

While  this  deadly  contest  had  been  progressing,  the 
Chinaman,  remembering  the  orders  of  his  master,  and 
not  hearing  his  whistle,  dared  not  interfere.  Knowing 
the  marvelous  skill,  strength  and  agility  he  had  often 
seen  displayed,  he  never  for  a  moment  doubted  the 
issue.  But  as  he  had  stood  in  the  shadow  of  the 
alley,  a  lad  of  about  eighteen,  had  paused  before  him, 
arrested  by  the  noise  of  the  struggle,  and  who  seemed 
about  to  cry  for  help  or  to  interfere,  when  Ling  laid 
on  the  shoulder  of  the  youth  his  giant  hand,  and 
held  him  fast  in  his  grasp. 

"Be  stillee  you!"  he  cried.  "Stayee  here  you!  Not 
one  wordee  sayee  you !  No  Melliken  youee,  I  see — from 
Japan,  youee — your  namee  tellee  me." 

"Tojo!"  answered  the  lad,  trembling  with  fear  and 
anger. 

"From  Tokio,  youee!"  said  Ling.  "How  Ion  gee  in 
Mellika,  youee  ?" 


THE    BATTERY.  309 

"I  came  from  Japan  when  a  child,"  replied  Tojo, 
"and  have  been  nearly  ever  since  with  Diable.  Let 
me  go  and  help  him,  or  I  will  yell  for  the  police." 

"Youee  no  doee  it,"  answered  Ling,  shaking  the 
boy  terribly,  by  way  of  warning. 

The  lad  thus  threatened  was  compelled  to  remain  a 
quiet  observer  of  the  fierce  fight.  Soon,  however,  it 
had  ended,  and  being  released  from  the  giant's  grasp, 
he  ran  over  the  street,  entered  the  door,  and  bent  over 
his  bleeding  and  prostrate  master. 

' 'Are  you  much  hurt,  Diable?"  he  inquired,  as  he 
stooped  and  held  his  ear  near  the  lips  of  the  bruised 
and  bloody  wretch,  who  faintly  gasped,  "Water! 
Tojo!  Water!" 

The  lad  sprang  for  a  pitcher,  poured  out  some 
water  into  a  cup,  and  gave  it  to  Diable,  at  the  same 
time  wetting  a  handkerchief  and  wiping  the  blood  from 
the  face  and  forehead  of  the  suffering  man.  Diable 
soon  revived,  and  rising  and  staggering  to  a  rude  bench, 
threw  himself  on  it  with  a  fearful  imprecation  on  his 
conqueror. 

"Curse  him!"  he  exclaimed.  "Curse  his  eyes,  his 
heart,  his  head !  Curse  his  family,  his  race,  his 
country !  Curse  his  emperor !  Curse  them  all,  to  a 
thousand  generations.  Death  to  kings  and  aristocrats 
everywhere !  The  old  shall  pass  away  in  blood  to 
make  place  for  the  new.  I  will  leave  nothing,  nothing ! 
Ruin  for  the  world  shall  be  my  cry  forever ! " 

Having  expended  his  muttered  rage,  with  the  tone 
and  look  of  a  demon  he  said  :  "  Tojo  !  here  !  Tojo ! " 


310  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

The  lad,  starting  at  the  sound  of  the  savage  voice, 
replied : 

"Here  I    am,  Diable!       What  do   you  want?" 

"We  must  leave  this  place,  Tojo!"  he  answered. 
"  Leave  this  very  night.  That  has  just  happened 
which  will  discover  all  and  ruin  all." 

"But,  Diable,"  urged  the  boy,  "it  can't  be  done. 
Your  word  is  pledged.  Don't  you  remember  you  hired 
me  to-night  for  the  big  house  on  the  avenue.  Dan 
Death  and  Billy  Bully  were  to  meet  me  when  the 
clock  struck  one,  and  I  was  to  climb  up  the  back 
piazza,  walk  along  the  eave,  open  a  fourth  story 
window,  go  down  stairs  and  unlock  the  front  door, 
and  bag  a  third  of  the  catch.  It  can't  be,  Diable. 
Our  word  was  given,  and  I  want  the  work  and  the 
stuff." 

"Curse  your  word!"  cried  Diable,  in  a  rage. 
"You  shall  play  'kid'  no  longer.  This  night  ends 
such  business.  I  have  enough  for  us  both  and  we  will 
retire  while  we  can.  My  time  and  soul  shall  be  given 
to  vengeance  against  my  enemy,  and  to  killing  kings, 
aristocrats  and  monopolists.  I'll  never  spare  again. 
Tippoo  and  Lillie  must  leave  the  city  immediately. 
We  will  go  from  this  place  this  minute  and  seek  new 
and  better  quarters,  and  in  the  morning  I  will  explain 
to  vou  my  plans." 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE     EAGLE. 

HAT  a  glorious  creature  is  a  loco 
motive  !  Did  you  ever  feel  it 
under  you,  as  it  flashed  and 
thundered  along  the  track,  thrill 
ing  you  with  a  sense  of  joy  and 
power  ?  It  seemed  to  you  a 
living  thing.  It  breathed,  it  drank,  it  was 
fed,  it  ran,  it  palpitated  with  its  giant 
force.  Surely,  these  are  the  attributes  of 
vitality  !  On  the  locomotive,  you  think  you 
are  on  some  vast  obedient  animal,  and  when 
the  crash  comes  in  blood,  and  death,  and 
horror,  it  is  the  madness  of  the  creature,  rebelling 
against  human  control,  which  dashes  to  ruin  all 
around  it  in  a  paroxysm  of  insane  vengeance.  The 
locomotive  is  yet  the  uniter  of  nations,  the  prophet  of 
peace,  the  messenger  of  civilization,  the  herald  of 
millennium,  the  conqueror  of  humanity,  and  the  John 
the  Baptist  of  Christianity,  raising  the  valleys,  level 
ing  the  mountains,  and  making  the  crooked  straight 
and  the  rough  plain  for  the  monarch  of  the  universe. 
It  is  hence  the  spell  of  its  mystery  penetrates  into 
the  consciousness  of  mankind. 


312  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

It  is  not,  therefore,  strange  that  there  was  a  holiday 
in  Alma,  when  the  largest  and  swiftest  locomotive 
ever  built  in  the  country  was  pushed  forth  finished 
from  the  shop,  and  stood  on  the  track  in  its  majesty. 
Indeed,  it  had  a  royal  look  !  In  its  very  silence  was 
a  spell.  What  a  contrast  between  that  slumbering 
power  and  the  fiery  energy  which  was  to  fly  through 
the  air  and  flash  over  the  earth  !  How  bright  each 
plate  and  band  of  brass !  See  those  monster  wheels, 
towering  above  the  tallest  men  !  A  flame  is  beginning 
to  glimmer  in  the  furnace  !  Now,  a  circle  of  smoke 
rises,  for  the  first  time,  from  the  stack  and  floats 
away  into  the  heavens  !  Steam  hisses  !  All  will  soon 
be  ready  for  the  thrilling  race  !  A  long  expected  hour 
has  come,  and  a  large  group  of  workmen  are  survey 
ing,  with  hope,  love  and  admiration,  the  machine  on 
which  they  have  bestowed  so  much  thought  and  labor. 

John  Standfast,  master  of  the  Alma  shops,  looked 
affectionately  at  the  Eagle,  examined  a  joint  here  and 
a  plate  yonder,  peeped  into  the  furnace,  tried  the 
steam-gauges,  worked  the  lever  of  the  throttle-valve, 
and  went  around,  and  under,  and  over  the  stately 
locomotive. 

"Well!  she  is  a  beauty!"  he  exclaimed,  with  a 
species  of  paternal  satisfaction.  "  She'll  beat  lighthin' ! 
Reg'lar  time,  sixty  mile  an  hour,  and  ninety  on  a 
pinch." 

"Yes!  John,"  said  Jim  Fly,  "you've  made  an 
Eagle  in  our  Alma  shops  that'll  leave  out  of  sight  a 
Rocky  Mountain  bald-head,  when  he's  flyin'  for  his 


They've  cut  me  down  to  a  dollar  a  day." 
Paw  3'.o. 


THE    EAGLE.  315 

breakfast.  I've  seen  many  a  fellow  in  the  clouds 
that  couldn't  go  as  fast  as  I  propose  this  mornin'." 

"If  our  Eagle  beats  the  Almighty's,"  impiously 
growled  Ben  Bunce,  "who  gets  the  profit?  We  do 
the  work  and  our  masters  take  the  pay.  Who  put 
the  hard  knocks  into  this  machine  ?  The  men,  who 
get  nothin'  for  their  pains." 

"Why,  Bunce,"  replied  Standfast,  "is  there  no  pleas 
ure  in  makin'  such  a  thing,  and  feelin'  that  you  can 
make  it  ?  I've  spent  many  a  night  in  thinkin'  it  out, 
and  many  a  day  in  workin'  it  out,  and  I  wouldn't 
change  my  part  in  it  for  any  stock  or  office  of  the 
company.  We  have  health,  comfort  and  a  good 
conscience,  and  that's  more  than  the  fellows  you  scold 
always  have." 

"Curse  'em!"  said  Bunce.  "They've  cut  me  down 
to  a  dollar  a  day,  and  brought  my  wife  and  children 
to  tough  grub  and  rough  wear,  but  their  own  cham 
pagne  flows  on,  and  their  women's  silks  and  dimons 
are  jist  as  before  these  hard  times — hard  times  for  us 
slaves,  but  not  for  our  owners." 

A  murmur  of  discontent,  excited  by  these  words, 
ran  through  the  crowd.  At  this  point  Jim  Fly,  who 
was  to  be  engineer  of  the  Eagle  on  this  grand  trial- 
day,  mounted  the  steps  of  the  splendid  machine,  and, 
with  a  cock  of  his  hat,  a  toss  of  his  head,  and  a 
knowing  squint,  having  first  thrust  out  his  cheeks  with 
his  tongue,  said: 

"Boys,  it  wont  always  be  so.  We  fixed  that  fact  at 
our  meetin'  last  night,  sure  as  John  Standfast  makes 


316  KNIGHTS  OF  LABOR. 

you  drive  a  boiler-rivet  true.      What  I  tell  you  now  is 

certin  as  the  noise  sent   before   by   a    locomotive,   when 

i 
she    whizzes    at    her    best    to    tell     you    she's   acomin'. 

We'll  turn  up  owners  after  while,  and  I'll  run  this  Eagle 
on  my  own  account  and  have  a  jolly  ride,  responsible 
to  Jim  Fly." 

"Take  care,  Jim,"  replied  Standfast,  "that's  dan 
gerous  talk,  and  smacks  of  that  infernal  Diable.  You'll 
strike  yourself  into  trouble,  strike  money  out  of  your 
pocket,  strike  your  family  into  rags,  and  out  of  a 
good  home.  That's  always  the  end  of  it,  after  all 
your  meetins',  and  brags,  and  flags,  and  drinkins',  and 
marchins'.  You  may  have  one  ride  of  your  own  on 
the  Eagle,  but  you'll  pay  for  it  with  the  loss  of  your 
place,  and  your  character,  and  never  get  over  it  for 
the  rest  of  your  life." 

"  So  you  always  talk,"  said  Bunce,  with  a  scowl 
on  his  face.  "  Your  heart  is  on  our  side,  but  your 
head  is  with  our  owners.  We  are  their  slaves,  and 
they  grind  out  of  us  their  big  fortunes,  and  their  good 
times,  and,  I  tell  you,  American  Workingmen  are  goin' 
to  be  free.  In  six  months,  a  time  is  comin'  that'll 
startle  you.  You  can't  stand  fast  with  us,  John, 
unless  you  stand  loose  from  the  monopolists." 

Looks  and  words  of  approval  were  on  the  faces  and 
lips  of  the  gathering  crowd  of  toilers,  and  were  only 
repressed  by  the  unpropitious  time  and  place.  The 
steam  would  soon  be  sufficient  for  the  engines,  and 
the  President  and  his  associates  make  their  appearance, 
and  enter  their  car  already  in  waiting. 


THE    EAGLE.  317 

Just  here  said  Sam  Fead  the  fireman,  who  had 
been  silently  scouring  a  steam  box  : 

"Boys,  I've  a  word  to  say.  Let  Jim  Fly  tell  us 
where  the  screw  is  we'd  like  to  loose  to-day,  and  I'll 
give  it  a  few  twists  with  his  wrench,  and  let  her 
jump  the  track,  and  pitch  off  the  monopolists  at  the 
rate  of  sixty  mile  an  hour,  and  bury  our  wrongs  with 
'em  in  the  mud.  Curse  'em,  I'd  like  to  see  'em  heads 
down  and  heels  up,  stickin  for  the  next  ten  year." 

"  You  fool,"  answered  Jim  Fly,  "aint  you  and  me 
in  the  same  craft  ?  Where'll  be  our  blood  and  brains, 
while  they're  turnin'  summersets  and  landin'  skulls  in 
the  earth  and  toes  in  the  air  ?  You  don't  catch  me 
beatin'  in  my  head  for  the  fun  of  breakin'  theirs." 

"Yes!"  cried  Tim  Driver,  "many  a  time,  when 
they've  been  flyin'  in  their  palaces,  and  a  dinin'  and  a 
winin'  at  our  expense,  I'd've  let  go  a  loose  rail,  or 
pulFd  out  a  bad  spike,  if  it  had'nt  been  that  our  own 
fellows  were  at  the  brakes,  the  furnace,  and  the 
throttle-valve,  and  that  I  did'nt  want  to  spill  their 
blood  in  the  general  crash.  But  they've  pull'd  down 
our  pay  agin  while  they  keep  up  their  own,  and  I'll 
find  a  way  to  be  even  with  them  yet,  or  I  aint  Tim 
Driver." 

The  sympathies  of  the  men  were  evidently  with 
this  wild  and  wicked  speech.  One  red-eyed,  reckless, 
rollicking  old  man,  and  several  young  madcaps,  all 
ready  for  change,  whiskey  and  plunder,  cried  in 
suppressed  tones  : 

"  Down  with  the  'nopolists  !    down  with    aristocrats  I 


318  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

down  with  capital  and  up  with  labor  !  Down  with  our 
masters  and,  curse  'em  !  we'll  wipe  'em  out,  and  get 
our  own  in  spite  of  money-bags  and  bagonets  !  Hur 
rah  for  Diable  and  the  Nillists  ! " 

Standfast  was  alarmed  at  what  he  saw  and  heard. 
He  knew  that  danger  was  brewing  all  over  the  coun 
try,  but  could  not  have  believed  the  storm  so  near, 
as  these  advanced  mutterings  indicated.  It  was  clear 
to  him  at  a  glance  that  the  GRAND  STRIKE  had  been 
organized,  and  that  before  many  months,  tempest  and 
earthquake  might  be  loosed  in  universal  ruin.  He 
saw,  too,  that  European  emissaries  had  been  sowing 
evil  seeds  among  the  men,  and  that  the  baleful  har 
vest  would  soon  be  ripe.  Now  his  only  hope  was  to 
extricate  from  the  combination  the  laborers  in  his 
own  shops,  and  possibly  along  the  line  of  the  road. 
While  the  Eagle  was  flaming  and  panting  like  a  racer, 
eager  for  the  strife  and  the  prize,  he  mounted  one  of 
the  steps,  and  said  earnestly  to  the  men,  by  whom  he 
was  trusted  and  respected  : 

"Boys,  you're  goin'  wrong  and  you'll  make  your 
selves  trouble.  Diable  has  been  among  you.  I  know 
his  tracks.  He's  bad  all  through  as  his  namesake. 
Keep  clear  of  the  devil  and  he'll  keep  clear  of  you. 
It  may  do  to  kill  aristocrats  in  Europe,  but  I  tell  you 
dynamite- bombs  won't  take  in  America.  They'll  blow 
your  own  brains  out.  Diable  tells  you  to  wipe  out 
the  old  in  blood,  and  let  the  world  begin  over  again. 
We  have  begun  over  again  in  this  country.  The  Rev 
olution  was  our  new  start.  Every  man  here  has  his 


THE    EAGLE.  319 

rights,  rich  or  poor,  and  a  chance  for  the  best  our 
country  .can  give.  Manhood  wins  at  last.  Your  sons 
may  have  the  highest  offices  in  the  gift  of  the  people, 
and  you  know  it.  Black  and  white,  furrener  and 
native-born  are  the  same  before  the  law,  and  God 
Almighty  will  take  care  of  a  country  built  on  right 
and  justice.  Every  man  in  this  land  may  have  a 
livin',  and  if  he  fails,  the  fault's  his  own.  In  no 
place  on  earth  has  the  workman  such  comforts  and 
privileges.  Keep  to  your  posts,  boys ;  do  your  duty, 
and  all  will  be  well." 

Standfast  was  one  of  themselves.  An  uneducated, 
silent,  gifted  man,  who  had  risen  by  his  own  talent 
and  energy.  The  men  loved  and  respected  him,  and 
every  word  of  his  had  weight,  and  more  especially, 
since  he  was  a  thinker,  and,  usually,  most  sparing  of 
his  speech. 

Jack  Ruff,  however,  a  sturdy  and  growling  English 
man,  esteemed  for  his  skill  in  the  foundry,  was  not 
to  be  silenced.  He  grumbled  out : 

"John,  if  we  can't  have  better  pay  here,  give  me 
king,  queen  and  nobility,  as  we  'ave  in  Hingland, 
above  your  mush-room  railroaders.  I  respect  an  hold 
hoak  more  than  a  gourd  that  comes  hup  in  a  night 
and  dies  next  mornin'.  Down  with  your  smoke-stack 
haristocracy  !  Tumble  'em  into  the  ditch,  and  let  'em 
lie  where  they  fall  !  If  I'm  to  be  ruled  by  haristocrats, 
I'll  go  back  to  hold  Hingland,  where  kings  are  born 
to  crowns,  and  nobles  'ave  hancestors." 

"And    me    to    auld    Ireland,"     said'   Shanty    O'Brien. 


320  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

"I'll  be  a  goin'  in  a  week,  if  the  pay  isn't  bether. 
They're  dhrivin'  out  the  landlords,  and  pushin'  Johnny 
Bull  into  the  Irish  sae,  and,  when  it's  over,  I'll  be 
gettin'  an  esthate  myself.  An  Irish  pell,  with  a  little 
pouther,  is  good  for  arishtocrats,  and  a  midnight  dose 
they'll  have  in  Amirica  if  they  schrew  down  me  pay 
another  rid  cent." 

"Yah!"  said  Dutch  Hans,  "that  be  von  trut ;  dey 
grind  us  in  mine  country,  and  dey  grind  us  in  dis. 
Te  mills-stones  be  all  de  same  here  and  tare.  As  te 
Diable  say,  te  cure  is  der  blood  —  dey  must  be  viped 
out  clean,  and  no  seen  more  tan  dat  steam  ven  it  is 
lost  in  te  air." 

Just  here  the  venerable  General  Adam  Sparker, 
President  of  the  Company,  with  his  son,  Walter,  and 
his  son-in-law,  Dr.  Saul  Bidman,  appeared,  and  ended 
this  dangerous  conversation.  All  words  and  looks  of 
discontent  vanished  instantly.  The  very  sight  of  the 
General  hushed  every  tempest.  He  was  an  old  man 
of  eighty,  who  had  organized  and  established  the  road, 
but  whose  advanced  age  compelled  him  to  resign  the 
active  duties  of  his  office  to  his  son,  a  young  man  of 
twenty-five,  as  first  Vice-President,  and  to  his  son-in- 
law,  long  a  widower,  as  second  Vice-President.  His 
ability,  integrity  and  benevolence  commanded  universal 
respect.  The  old-fashioned,  bright  brass  buttons  of  his 
blue  cloth  swallow-tail  were  not  so  lustrous  as  his 
reputation,  and  would  have  been  yet  more  emblem 
atical  had  they  been  silver,  or  even  gold.  The  General 
was  tall,  slender  and  still  erect,  with  a  keen,  eagle 

« 


THE    EAGLE.  321 

eye,  a  fine  Roman  nose,  a  thin,  firm  lip,  and  the 
benevolent  expression  expected  in  a  patriarch.  He  had 
not  forgotten  the  anvil  and  hammer,  with  which  he 
had  first  forged  his  fortune,  and  his  gold  had  never, 
therefore,  been  a  barrier  between  him  and  the  people. 
Indeed,  his  was  a  model  of  Christian  manhood.  The 
Eagle  had  awakened  in  him  the  ardor  of  his  youth, 
and  he  had  summoned  all  his  failing  energies  for  this 
swiftest  run  ever  made  on  the  continent. 

As  General  Sparker  ascended  the  steps  of  his 
beautiful  private  car,  supported  on  the  right  by  Walter 
and  on  the  left  by  Dr.  Saul  Bidman,  cheers  long  and 
loud  burst  from  the  lips  of  the  workmen,  and  when  he 
reached  the  platform  he  acknowledged  the  compliment 
by  a  graceful  wave  of  his  hat,  and  the  sparkle  in  his 
eye,  and  the  smile  on  his  countenance.  Afterwards, 
when  his  two  associates  came  out  for  a  moment  in 
the  view  of  the  crowd,  an  instantaneous  change  was 
visible  on  all  faces.  It  seemed  like  the  shadow  of  a 
cloud  sweeping  over  fields  brilliant  in  the  beams  of  a 
summer  sun. 

Standfast  took  his  place  on  the  locomotive,  with  Jim 
Fly  and  Sam  Fead,  for  the  purpose  of  directing  them 
and  assuring  the  greatest  attainable  speed  and  safety. 
Amid  the  delighted  shouts  of  the  men  the  Eagle  moved 
off  gracefully,  but  ran  slowly  while  testing  and  warming 
for  her  fiery  race. 

The  quick  eye  of  old  General  Sparker  had  detected 
discontent  in  the  faces  of  the  men,  even  when  they 
were  most  vociferous  in  their  cheers,  and  pressing  the 


322  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

little  bell-tap  on  the  side  of  his  car,  Standfast 
immediately  responded  to  his  call. 

"John,"  he  began,  "I  saw  in  the  countenances  of 
some  of  the  Alma  men  what  I  did  not  like.  I  fear 
they  mean  mischief.  Tell  me  the  whole  truth." 

"General,"  replied  Standfast,  "I  do  not  know  all, 
but  I  know  enough.  I  am  afraid  we  are  on  the  edge 
of  an  earthquake.  A  Railway  strike  has  been  organized 
over  our  land  which  must  end  in  trouble  we  have 
never  seen  before.  Some  of  the  men  talk  wildly  of 
even  killing,  burning  and  getting  possession  of  the 
country. 

"  You  surprise  me,  John,"  said  the  General.  "  What 
are  your  proofs  ?  I  can  scarcely  believe  it,  and  yet  I 
forget  that  I  am  so  far  outside  of  active  duty  that  my 
opportunities  of  observing  are  not  great.  It  is  strange 
that  Walter  and  the  Doctor  have  given  me  no  hint  of 
this." 

"I  have  too  many  proofs,"  replied  Standfast.  "Our 
only  hope  now  is  to  keep  our  own  fellows  out  of  the 
combination.  They  have  perfect  faith  in  you,  and  love 
you  much.  But  you  know  that  they  are  children  and 
easily  drawn  aside.  There  is  a  Nihilist  called  Diable 
who  will  come  among  them,  and  who  does  great  harm." 

"John,"  answered  the  General,  "we  have  no  time  to 
talk  of  this  now,  but  you  will  stand  by  me,  I  am  sure, 
whatever  may  happen.  I  will  see  you  again  about  it. 
Here,  take  my  hand  and  pledge  me  that  you  will  be 
faithful  to  me  and  the  Road." 

Standfast  extended  his   hand,   which  was  grasped  by 


THE    EAGLE.  323 

that  of  the  General,  and  both  men  knew  that  this 
signified  fidelity  even  unto  death. 

"Now,"  resumed  the  noble  old  man,  "I  want  to 
talk  a  little  with  Walter  and  Dr.  Bidman.  In  about 
ten  minutes  I  will  be  through,  and  then  you  must  put 
the  Eagle  to  her  best  speed  and  beat  all  America  this 
morning." 

John  retired  as  requested,  having  first  called  Walter 
Sparker  and  Dr.  Saul  Bidman  from  the  opposite  end  of 
the  car  to  chairs  near  the  General. 

"Walter,"  began  his  father,  "my  curiosity  is  excited. 
Did  you  notice  that  fine-looking  young  man  and 
beautiful  girl  standing  in  Standfast's  door  as  our 
carriage  drove  by  this  morning  ?  If  you  know,  tell 
me  who  they  are  ?  " 

Young  Sparker  was  visibly  embarrassed.  He 
blushed  and  stammered,  but  at  last  said  with  great 
constraint  : 

"I  saw  there  Edward  Stewart,  our  new  mechanical 
engineer,  and  Belle  Standfast,  the  only  daughter  of 
John.  These,  I  suppose,  are  the  persons  you  mean." 

"  That  young  fellow  pleased  me  greatly,"  replied  the 
General,  musingly.  "He  has  a  marked  and  noble  face, 
and  I  must  inquire  about  him.  My  interest  is  unusual, 
and  I  cannot  but  think  he  is  to  be  useful  to  the  road. 
The  girl  is  the  prettiest  picture  I  ever  saw.  I  did  not 
know  John  had  such  a  daughter.  Another  proof  how 
fast  I  am  getting  out  of  the  way  of  this  world.  And 
now,  Bidman,  I  must  express  my  surprise  that  I  have 
never  heard  anything  of  this  threatened  strike." 


324  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

•  "  I  did  not  wish  to  trouble  you,  General,  and  we  are 
prepared  for  the  rascals,"  replied  Bidman,  morosely. 

"Prepared!"  said  the  General,  displeased  and 
alarmed.  "  Prepared !  Have  matters  gone  so  far,  and 
I  in  ignorance  of  everything !  I  do  not  like  this  at 
all!" 

Bidman  answered  sullenly : 

"I  thought  we  could  manage  the  affair,  and  it  would 
only  distress  you  for  nothing.  If  the  rascals  try  to 
carry  out  their  plans,  they  will  soon  be  wiped  out. 
We  have  made  arrangements  both  with  the  State  and 
Federal  authorities,  and  my  house  is  already  like  a 
fort." 

"Walter!"  burst  out  the  General,  "are  you  party 
to  this  concealment  ?  And,  pray,  if  the  peril  is  so 
great,  why  have  I  not  been  notified  ?  I  don't  like 
this  mystery  ! " 

"Father!"  said  Walter,  trembling  with  fear  and 
embarrassment ;  "  I  have  already  had  guns  and  cartridges 
placed  in  our  attic." 

"Guns  and  cartridges!"  thundered  the  General,  with 
all  the  fiery  energy  of  his  early  manhood,  "and  I  know 
nothing  of  it !  In  my  own  house,  too  !  The  authorities 
apprised,  and  I  ignorant !  I  tell  you  there  shall  be  no 
appeal  to  arms.  Our  men  can  be  controlled  by  kindness 
and  wisdom.  You  will  see,  old  as  1  am,  that  my  influ 
ence  is  not  buried,  although  you  treat  me  as  if  my  body 
was." 

"  General,"  replied  Bidman,  with  an  impatient  scowl, 
"  I  have  studied  this  question,  and  there  is  but  one  way 


THE    EAGLE.  325 

to  settle  it.  If  these  fellows  burn  and  kill,  as  they 
threaten,  we  must  meet  them  with  balls  and  bayonets. 
I  am  ready  for  the  rascals.  I'll  shoot  down  like  a  dog 
any  man  who  attacks  me  or  my  property." 

"  You  are  going  wrong,  Bidmao,"  said  the  General, 
subduing  his  anger  with  a  great  effort,  "and  you  are 
leading  others  wrong.  I  must  see  to  this  myself. 
Beware  of  what  you  do  and  say !  Your  plans  and 
feelings  will  lead  to  blood  and  ruin.  You  cannot  govern 
men  in  this  way.  Only  can  you  control  them  by  justice 
and  benevolence.  Let  me  say  to  you,  as  if  with  my 
dying  lips,  never  depart  from  the  principles  on  which  I 
have  founded  our  company !  Never  discriminate  in 
freights,  either  for  individuals  or  corporations  !  Never 
force  a  man  to  sell  you  his  property  because  you  chance 
to  want  it !  Never  manufacture  an  article  for  your 
own  profit  at  the  expense  of  other  stockholders !  Never 
declare  a  dividend  you  have  not  earned !  Never  defile 
yourselves  or  others  by  bribes !  Never  seek  to  destroy 
men  that  you  may  rise  on  their  ruin !  Above  all,  avoid 
combinations  to  control  prices !  The  Universal  Oil  Com 
pany  will  blast  you  if  you  touch  it.  Always  remember 
that  wo  are  common  carriers,  bound  by  law  and  right 
to  convey  all  freights  at  reasonable  prices !  Do  not 
forget  that  I  myself  am  sprung  from  the  people,  and 
bound  to  our  workmen  by  the  strongest  sympathies ! 
Be  just  and  fear  not !  Another  panic  will  sweep  this 
country  like  an  earthquake,  and  engulf  nearly  all  our 
great  railway  companies,  and  nothing  will  save  us  from 
the  general  ruin  but  the  honesty  and  wisdom  of  our 


326  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

management.  This  is  the  policy  that  I  bequeath  to 
my  family,  and  I  demand  that  it  be  observed." 

The  General  spoke  with  the  glow  and  vehemence  of 
an  old  prophet,  while  Walter  Sparker  and  Dr.  Saul 
Bidman  looked  confused  and  almost  confounded.  But 
just  here  the  designated  ten  minutes  had  expired,  and 
the  Eagle  was  beginning  to  feel  the  effects  of  the 
command  to  John  Standfast. 

Yes;  the  speed  was  indeed,  wonderful.  General 
Sparker,  kindled  into  new  strength  by  his  own  true 
words,  seemed  to  have  returned  to  him  the  ardor  and 
vigor  of  his  youth.  He  insisted  on  standing  with 
the  men  on  the  locomotive,  and  enjoying  fully  the 
sense  of  his  triumph.  It  was  a  glorious  moment  for 
the  venerable  man — the  crown  and  consummation  of  a 
noble,  active  life.  See  him  with  his  beaming  eye, 
his  dilated  nostril,  his  erect  form,  as  he  stands  with 
folded  arms,  and  his  white  locks  streaming  in  the 
wind  created  by  the  flight  of  the  Eagle !  The 
people  along  the  line  have  been  notified  by  telegram, 
and  at  all  the  stations  are  gazing  and  shouting  with 
excitement.  A  whirlwind  is  rushing  by.  The  engines 
are  frantic ;  the  wheels  flash  like  the  lightning ; 
beneath  is  a  tempestuous  vortex,  dangerous  as  a  mael 
strom.  First,  a  warning  noise,  then  an  instant  thunder, 
and  all  is  silence  again,  while  the  Eagle  has  vanished 
in  the  opposite  direction.  No  bird  of  Jove  above 
cloud  or  mountain  summit,  had  ever  so  swift  a  flight, 
unless  when  dropping  down  through  the  air  like  the 
lightning-bolt  on  its  prey. 


THE    EAGLE.  327 

All  were  exhilarated  by  the  triumph,  and  when  the 
Eagle  returned  in  the  evening,  she  had  attained  a  speed 
unexampled  in  America.  A  telegram  had  announced 
the  splendid  achievement,  and  she  was  saluted  with  cries 
of  victory.  Alma  was  illuminated,  and  in  the  blaze 
of  torch  and  window,  the  whole  population  abandoned 
itself  to  entertainments  generously  provided  by  the 
Company.  While  the  lights  flamed  and  the  cheer 
was  distributed,  no  signs  could  be  traced  of  the  dis 
content  which  was  to  result  in  a  fearful  commotion  of 
the  social  and  political  elements. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE    BROTHERS. 


I  ABLE,    on    the    very    night    of 
the    fierce    battle     I     have    pre 
viously      described,     moved      into 
furnished      apartments      he      had 
examined     a     few      days     before, 


and  which  were  in  an  old  brick  house 
on  the  Avenue  near  Washington  Square. 
His  sudden  improvement  in  fortune  was 
owing  to  an  investment  in  a  Colorado 
mine,  whose  stock  had  been  surpris 
ingly  advanced  by  discoveries  of  gold, 
which  proved  to  be  exhaustless  and  almost 
fabulous.  In  his  neat  and  airy  rooms,  and  new 
attire,  he  could  scarcely  be  recognized,  even  by  the 
police,  and  in  consequence  of  his  transformation, 
we  will  hereafter  call  him  by  his  true  name, 
Ruric,  which  he  had  inherited  in  a  land  where  rank 
and  wealth  had  promised  him  a  splendid  future. 
But  while  changed  in  situation  and  appearance,  burn 
ing  in  his  heart  was  the  same  wild  flame  of  hatred 
and  revenge.  He  dreamed  of  the  ruin  of  the  present 
over  which  he  always  saw  a  cloud,  red  with  blood. 
Indeed,  he  had  become  a  maniac  of  destruction.  He 


THE    BROTHERS.  329 

would  make  the  world  like  an  extinct  volcano,  and 
sink  it  into  abysses  from  which  it  would  arise  with 
another  soil,  and  for  another  life.  All  his  increased 
resources  were  but  enlarged  means  of  ruin.  Lillie, 
Tippoo,  Tojo,  were  no  longer  necessary  for  his  living, 
but  he  henceforth  had  for  them  other  plans,  caused  by 
the  knowledge  that  the  mysterious  stranger,  whom  of 
mortals  he  most  detested,  was  a  foe  whom  he  had  to 
baffle,  or  be  himself  destroyed.  Torture  and  death 
were  preferable  to  the  triumph  of  his  enemy.  His 
chief  aim  now  was  to  get  Lillie  out  of  the  way  of  a 
vigorous  and  vigilant  pursuit  he  saw  inevitable. 
Calling  Tojo  to  his  room,  after  long  reflection,  he  said 
to  him : 

"My  boy,  you  must  leave  your  old  ways  and  friends. 
Drop  your  slang,  and  talk  as  you  were  taught  in  the 
Public  School  before  you  began  to  play  'kid.'  I  shall 
need  all  the  intelligence  your  early  education  gives 
you.  Unite  your  Japanese  wit  to  your  American  train 
ing,  and  forget  everything  in  your  past,  but  your  lessons 
of  obedience  to  my  commands.  Hereafter  call  me 
'Master,'  and  tell  Lillie  and  Tippoo  to  do  the  same." 

It  was  marvelous  how  speedily,  in  consequence  of 
this  direction,  the  apt  lad  transformed  himslf  in  dress, 
speech  and  manners,  and  accommodated  his  whole  nature 
to  the  requirements  of  his  changed  conditions. 

Not  long  afterwards  Kuric   said  to  him  : 

"Tojo,  do  you  remember  the  Chinaman  whose  big 
hand  grasped  your  shoulder  and  held  you  back  on  the 
night  I  had  my  fight  with  that  infernal  stranger  ? " 


330  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

The  lad's  face  grew  black  with  rage  and  he  ground 
his  teeth  as  he  replied  : 

"Remember  him!  Master,  I  have  his  marks  on 
my  flesh.  He  is  my  enemy  and  must  feel  my  knife. 
Once,  when  I  was  a  child,  a  Chinese  junk  anchored 
before  our  village,  which  the  sailors  burned,  after 
killing  my  father  and  my  mother  and  taking  captive 
my  sister.  We  were  of  noble  blood,  but  that  night 
brought  us  to  ruin.  I  alone  escaped  by  hiding  in  a 
cave  of  a  mountain.  Ling's  hand  brought  back  the 
wrongs  of  my  boyhood,  and  renewed  my  hatred  of  his 
race." 

"  And  the  stranger  he  serves,"  exclaimed  Kuric,  "  is 
my  deadliest  enemy." 

"If  he  is  yours,  Master,  he  is  mine,"  cried  To  jo. 
"We  will  hate  them  together  and  have  our  revenge." 

"  That,  now,  is  our  business,"  said  Ruric.  "  You 
must  not  fail  to  obey  me,  as  you  have  always  done ; 
our  change  of  plans  and  circumstances  has  made  this 
even  more  necessary  than  before." 

"Master,"  answered  Tojo,  "it  will  be  hard  to  forget 
the  lessons  I  have  been  so  many  years  learning.  They 
have  been  well  beaten  into  me,  I  think." 

"I  am  satisfied,"  said  Ruric,  smiling  grimly.  "Have 
you  taught  Lillie  and  Tippoo  what  I  expect  them  to 
do  ?  Unless  we  have  them  under  good  control  before 
they  start,  the  birds  will  take  wing  and  leave  us 
when  I  lift  my  hand  from  their  string.  I  incur  a  great 
hazard  in  sending  them  away  so  far  from  me  on  this 
expedition,  and  yet  it  seems  the  best  course  possible." 


THE    BROTHERS.  331 

"Master,"  replied  To  jo,  "they  have  had  their 
lessons  day  and  night,  and  they  are  scared  lambs,  I  tell 
you,  sure  as  ever  I  was  a  kid.  Often  I  threaten  them 
with  death  if  they  run  away,  and  fire  a  pistol  over 
their  heads  to  frighten  them.  In  the  night  I  waken 
them  by  rolling  a  cannon  ball  over  the  floor  above 
them  and  make  hideous  noises,  shrieking,  howling, 
groaning,  until  they  are  nearly  crazy  with  fear.  Just 
before  they  start  I  will  let  them  have  it  worse  than 
ever,  and  I  hope  you  will  scold  and  scare  them  like 
thunder." 

"I  am  satisfied,  Tojo,"  said  Ruric.  "You  have 
managed  admirably  and  I  have  no  doubt  can  be  en 
trusted  with  our  difficult  enterprise.  I  will  give  you 
more  careful  instructions  and  the  exact  route  to  be 
pursued.  Let  Tippoo  take  his  harp,  and  Lillie  her 
guitar,  and  teach  them  all  the  tricks  you  can  to  help 
them  pay  their  expenses  and  keep  them  employed. 
Now  go,  and  call  them  to  me." 

After  Tojo  had  left  him,  Ruric  paced  the  floor  in  a 
fearful  agitation.  It  had  been  difficult  to  decide  how 
he  might  elude  the  pursuit  of  the  girl.  Solitary  con 
finement  would  be  attended  with  many  dangers,  and 
escape  over  the  ocean  by  even  more.  After  long  hesi 
tation,  it  was  decided  to  send  the  children  together 
into  different  parts  of  the  country,  disguised  and  with 
their  instruments,  under  the  occasional  supervision  of 
Tojo,  while  Ruric  himself  was  to  hold  in  his  own 
hand  the  threads  of  all  movements  and  give  his 
directions  from*  New  York.  But  the  course  was  full 


333  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

of  perils.  Could  Lillie  and  Tippoo  be  controlled  ? 
Would  not  their  new  and  wide  liberty  break  down 
their  old  and  powerful  habits  of  obedience  ?  Would 
they  not  escape  ?  Might  not  Tojo  himself  prove  false 
and  sell  his  information  for  a  bribe — certain  to  be  large 
and  tempting  ?  Ruric  considered  and  answered  all 
these  questions.  He  was  not  prepared  himself  to  leave 
the  country  on  account  of  his  Nihilistic  schemes.  For 
the  girl  he  had  reserved  a  fate  too  terrible  for  mention, 
and  which  was  to  bring  the  bliss  of  a  supreme 
revenge.  All  evil  passions  were  clouding  his  soul  and 
working  in  his  face  when  the  boy  and  the  girl  appeared 
in  answer  to  his  summons.  He  burst  out  upon  them 
as  they  stood  trembling  before  him  : 

"  You  imps,  you  drones,  you  thieves,  you  devils,  do 
you  know  what  I  want  with  you  ? " 

"Yes,  Master,"  said  Tippoo.    "Tojo  has  told  us  all  and 
we  understand  it." 

"Will  you  obey  me,  you  vermin?"  he  cried.  "Will 
you  work  as  hard  for  me  when  I  cannot  see  you  as 
here  where  I  made  you  settle  every  night  ?  Will  you 
send  me  all  the  money  you  earn  ?  Or  will  you  try 
to  run  away  ?  Beware  !  Go  where  you  will,  Diable 
will  see  you  with  his  eye  and  reach  you  with  his 
hand.  The  lightning  will  be  too  quick  for  you.  Be 
sides,  Tojo  will  visit  you  when  you  least  expect  it, 

; 

and  if  he  finds  you  loitering,  or  cheating,  I'll  tumble 
you  into  the  fire  and  burn  your  heads  off.  Be  careful," 
he  thundered,  "or  I'll  kill  both  of  you  and  throw  you 
to  the  dogs." 


THE    BROTHERS.  333 

The  children  grew  pale  before  this  savage  rage 
which  revived  all  the  horrors  of  their  servitude  during 
so  many  years.  Ever  had  they  been  haunted,  even 
in  their  dreams,  by  the  image  of  Diable,  and  they 
feared  him  as  they  dreaded  ghosts  and  goblins. 
Across  even  a  continent,  they  were  to  feel  his  spell 
shaping  their  acts  and  molding  their  lives.  Tippoo 
stammered  out : 

"You  know,  master,  we  dare  not  disobey  you.  We 
would  be  afraid  in  any  part  of  the  country,  knowing 
your  eye  is  always  on  us.  You  could  find  us  deep 
in  the  ground  or  in  the  bottom  of  the  ocean.  Do  not 
beat  us,  for  we  will  do  what  you  say  without  it." 

"Don't  lie  to  me,"  he  shrieked.  "I'll  watch  you, 
night  and  day.  My  spies  will  be  always  about 
you.  The  telegraph  will  not  let  you  hide  or  run.  In 
a  few  hours  the  railway  can  take  me  anywhere. 
You  are  just  as  safe  for  me  in  San  Francisco  as  in 
New  York.  Do  you  know  where  you  are  to  go  for 
the  next  three  months  ? " 

"We     do,     master,"    said     Tippoo. 

"And  when  you  stop  in  a  town,  what  are  you  to 
do  first  ? " 

"Go  to  the  Post   Office." 

"And  what  next?" 

"Inquire     at     the     Telegraph    Station." 

"And    what    third?" 

"Send  our  money  every  Saturday  by  mail  to  Tojo  in 
New  York." 

"'In  what  places  are  you  going  to  stop?" 


334  KNIGHTS  OF  LABOR. 

"Where  you  tell  us  on  your  paper,  or  send  word 
by  Tojo." 

"Well!  I  see  you  understand.  Whether  you  get  it 
by  letter,  or  by  telegram,  or  in  thunder  and  in  light 
ning,  or  the  devil  hands  it  to  you  in  the  storm,  remem 
ber  that  my  will  is  your  law  and  your  life.  Disobey 
me,  and  you  will  not  forget  it  soon !  Begone  and 
beware  ! " 

The  children  left  the  apartment  in  haste  and  pallid 
with  their  fright. 

While  these  things  were  occurring  in  the  house,  you 
might  have  seen,  walking  down  the  avenue,  a  man 
who  was  the  image  of  Ruric  in  face  and  form,  but 
who,  in  expression,  differed  from  him  widely  as  pos 
sible.  He  wore  the  dress  of  a  Priest  of  the  Russian 
Church,  and  his  countenance  breathed  peace  and 
beamed  benevolence.  People  gazed  at  him  as  a  superb 
specimen  of  manhood.  In  his  port  and  person  was 
that  majesty  which  often  distinguishes  the  highest 
order  of  Russian  noblemen.  He  was  evidently  a  twin 
brother  of  Ruric.  Having  rung  the  bell,  he  stood 
waiting  on  the  step  with  an  anxious  and  bewildered 
look,  until,  the  servant  appearing,  he  sent  up  his  card, 
and  soon  received  an  invitation  to  a  private  parlor. 
He  took  a  chair,  gazed  around  with  surprise,  and 
then  seemed  absorbed  in  his  meditations.  Soon  Ruric 
entered,  and,  holding  out  his  hand,  said  gruffly  : 

"  Good  morning,   Nicolai  !" 

"Good  morning,  brother,"  was  the  response,  with  a 
sweet  tone  and  smile. 


THE    BROTHERS.  335 

"I  suppose,"  returned  Ruric,  "that  I  am  indebted 
to  my  changed  situation  for  this  unexpected  visit." 

"  You  do  me  injustice,"  replied  Nicolai.  "  Did  I 
not  persist  in  going  to  your  old  home  until  you  for 
bade  me  ?  Death  alone  can  sever  the  tie  between  us. 
Can  we  forget  our  father,  our  mother,  our  home,  our 
happy  boyhood  ?  No  more  can  I  forget  you.  Differing 
as  we  do  in  our  principles  and  our  practice,  you  are 
yet  always  my  brother." 

Hard  as  was  the  heart  of  Ruric  he  was  touched  by 
the  tone  and  look  of  fraternal  affection.  All  the  ten 
der  recollections  of  the  past  rushed  before  him,  and 
he  was  visibly  moved.  Love  thus  brings  some  sym 
pathetic  drop  from  the  rock  of  the  most  abandoned 
soul. 

"It  might  not  have  been  thus,"  he  said,  sadly;  "it 
might  not  have  been  thus.  But  you  know  my  wrongs, 
my  sufferings,  my  deep  and  terrible  provocations." 

"I  know  all,"  replied  Nicolai,  "and  I  sympathise 
with  all.  The  mystery  of  your  misery  is  too  deep 
for  me.  But  we  are  born  into  this  world  not  to 
know  so  much  as  to  learn.  A  dark  cloud  obscures 
this  human  life  of  ours.  In  endurance  I  have  found 
rest.  Otherwise,  I  should  be  like  yourself,  a  volcano — 
without,  ice  ;  within,  fire  and  ruin." 

"Did  I  not  begin,"  interrupted  Ruric,  " in  the  univer 
sity  with  golden  visions  ?  Russia  was  my  dream ;  when 
emancipation  came,  how  gladly  I  sacrificed  my  serfs 
and  my  lands  to  the  will  of  my  Emperor  !  I  impoverished 
myself  for  liberty.  What  followed  ?  Terrified  by  the 


336  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

burst  of  the  waters  he  had  released,  the  tyranny  of 
the  Czar  erected  more  formidable  barriers.  Trial  by  jury, 
discussion  in  our  local  assemblies,  the  freedom  of  the 
press,  the  privileges  of  the  universities,  were  suppressed, 
and  Kussia  was  ruled  by  the  spy  and  the  soldier. 
My  enthusiastic  words  for  liberty,  excited  by  the 
Emperor  himself,  were  turned  against  me  by  the  fears 
of  the  tyrant.  I  was  seized  in  my  youth,  and  buried 
in  the  solitudes  of  polar  forests,  and  doomed  to  labor 
like  a  slave  and  a  criminal  in  the  depths  of  the  earth. 
Then  came  the  long,  horrible  months  of  my  wander 
ings  amid  snows  and  savages,  until  my  soul  swam  in 
visions  of  blood.  Exiled  in  this  land  of  liberty,  I 
have  been  forced  to  earn  my  bread  by  mingling  with 
thieves  and  murderers.  Who  robbed  me  ?  who  cursed 
me  ?  who  degraded  me  ?  who  banished  me  ?  who  made 
me  what  I  am  ?  And  what  is  left  to  us  ?  We  have 
no  armies.  All  governments,  monarchical  and  repub 
lican,  combine  against  us  in  upholding  wrong.  Poison, 
bullet,  dagger,  dynamite,  death  to  kings  and  aristo 
crats — ruin  to  all  creeds  and  governments — the  old 
obliterated  for  the  new — in  this  despair  is  our  hope.  I 
live  for  blood  and  vengeance." 

"But,  Ruric,"  replied  Nicolai,  "I  have  suffered 
deeply  and  darkly  as  yourself.  Exile,  poverty,  cold, 
hunger,  imprisonment,  were  mine  as  well  as  yours. 
Yet,  in  forgiveness  and  submission,  I  have  found  peace. 
I  am  taught  by  the  Church  to  obey  my  rulers,  and  in 
this  I  have  rest  and  deliverance.  Joy  shines  over  the 
altar.  Hope  of  a  better  life  enables  me  to  endure  the 


THE    BROTHERS.  337 

evils  inseparable  from  this.  Earth  can  only  be 
reformed  by  those  fires  of  its  dissolution  which  are  to 
convert  it  into  heaven.  Here  !  oh,  here  alone  can  be 
hushed  forever  the  billows  and  the  tempests  of  any 
human  soul." 

"  This  solution  may  suit  you,"  he  replied  savagely, 
"  but  it  does  not  suit  me.  I  hate  your  Bible  ;  I  curse 
your  Church ;  I  would  obliterate  your  God ;  I  hope,  like 
a  bubble  on  the  ocean,  to  sink  back  into  the  abyss, 
and  mingle  myself  with  the  unconscious  universe  from 
which  I  sprang.  Nature  is  my  God,  and  my  immor 
tality  in  our  perpetuated  humanity." 

"You  will  see  this  differently  hereafter,"  said 
Nicolai,  with  touching  sympathy.  "After  years  of 
agony,  perhaps  of  madness,  your  eyes  will  be  opened 
to  the  truth." 

"Never!  Nicolai,  never!"  he  exclaimed,  with  a 
fearful  emphasis.  "The  same  air  and  soil  makes  the 
poison  that  kills  and  the  nectar  that  exhilarates — the 
same  food  is  converted  into  a  snake  or  into  a  man, 
and  by  a  similar  arrangement  of  your  benevolent  Deity, 
what  has  sunk  me  into  a  devil  has  exalted  you  to  an 
angel.  I  must  follow  this  kind  and  wise  ordination. 
My  path  lies  through  blood  to  ruin,  and  when  my 
ghastly  work  is  over,  the  gases,  solids  and  liquids  of 
this  huge  human  carcass  will  resolve  themselves  into 
the  unconscious  earth  and  air  from  which  they  arose." 

"Brother!"  said  Nicolai,  with  the  sigh  and  expres 
sion  of  an  ineffable  sadness,  "  I  feel  your  taunt,  although 
I  will  not  answer  it,  as  I  sympathise  with  your  suffer- 


338  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

ing,  although  I  cannot  relieve  it.  Your  time  has  not 
yet  come,  and  my  arguments  now  would  be  vain.  But 
we  are  of  the  same  blood  and  home,  and  the  same 
loves  and  memories  must  linger  together  in  our  hearts. 
Do  you  recollect  the  little  chamber  up  the  winding 
stair  of  the  old  tower,  in  which  we  slept  side  by  side 
when  children  ?  " 

"Do  I  recollect  it?"  he  answered,  with  a  smile  like 
sunshine  through  a  cloud.  "Yes,  well!  And  the 
beautiful  view  of  the  wide  river,  the  rich  valley,  the 
fringe  of  forest,  and  the  blue  hills  beyond  ! " 

"Whose  step  was  it,  Ruric,"  Nicolai  resumed,  "we 
heard  gently  on  the  stairs  ?  Who,  in  the  darkness, 
entered  the  chamber  when  we  were  supppsed  to  be 
asleep  ?  Who,  placing  on  each  brow  a  soft,  white  hand, 
while  kneeling  at  our  bed,  commended  her  boys  to 
Heaven  ?  It  was  our  mother  !  Oh,  the  sweetness  and 
purity  of  that  moment !  You  have  not  forgotten  it, 
brother.  Those  prayers  will  save.  Our  good  angel 
smiles  on  you  now  from  Paradise,  watches  your  steps, 
and  follows  you  with  blessings." 

Lost  to  almost  all  other  tender  feelings,  the  Nihilist 
yielded  to  the  spell  of  a  mother's  name  and  memory. 
His  lip  quivered,  and  the  tear  was  on  his  cheek  as  he 
turned  away  his  face  to  conceal  his  emotion.  Recover 
ing  himself  with  a  strong  effort,  he  said  : 

"  Mcolai,  I  will  hear  no  more  of  this.  My  heart 
shall  not  betray  my  head.  I  am  signed,  sealed,  and 
delivered  to  my  work.  A  recollection  of  childhood 
cannot  disturb  a  purpose  dark  and  deep  as  death.  You 


THE    BROTHERS.  339 

may  move  my  tears,  but  you  cannot  shake  my  resolve 
or  turn  me  from  my  mission." 

"Oh,  Ruric,"  replied  Nicolai,  tenderly,  "art  thou 
the  representative  of  thine  own  opinions  ?  Nothing 
lives  in  thee  but  hopeless  misery.  What,  then,  the  root 
bearing  such  a  fruit  ?  Once  there  was  above  thee  the 
sun  of  thy  youth,  shining  over  earth  and  sky,  with 
what  a  brilliance  of  glory  !  Now,  all  around  thee  is  a 
midnight." 

"I  feel  my  degradation,"  he  said,  fiercely.  "I  have 
been  driven  for  bread  to  herd  with  the  vilest  of  the 
land,  and  to  make  revenge  the  goal  of  my  life.  But 
it  is  not  thus  with  my  compatriots  at  home.  Nobles 
and  peasants  have  enlisted  together  in  our  cause. 
Youths  near  the  throne  stand  with  the  ploughman  and 
the  artisan.  Girls  of  princely  birth  and  in  the  flower 
of  beauty  are  ready  with  pistol,  shell,  dagger,  poison,  to 
extirpate  tyrants.  Their  lives  are  pure,  their  aims  are 
lofty,  their  souls  are  consecrated  to  their  dream  and 
idol — humanity.  The  best  of  the  empire  are  animated 
with  the  sublime  despair  of  martyrs.  Nor  are  we 
confined  to  Russia.  We  are  banded  over  the  world  to 
destroy  the  old  and  consummate  the  new.  To  such 
extremities  are  we  driven  by  our  tyrants." 

"Alas,  brother,"  said  Nicolai,  "I  feel  more  and  more 
how  powerless  my  arguments  and  my  persuasions.  The 
sacred  emotions  I  have  excited  are  soon  succeeded  by 
your  passions,  while  your  purpose  is  unchanged.  Peni 
tence  lies  deeper  than  the  tear.  Will  and  conscience 
are  at  the  roots  of  human  character.  And  now  I  am 


340  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

forced  to  touch  the  most  sensitive  spot  of  your 
nature." 

"Nicolai,  beware!"  he  cried.  "You  are  beginning 
to  talk  like  an  American  Protestant.  I  want  no 
preachings,  since  I  believe  neither  in  your  Church  nor 
your  God.  Like  the  torrent,  I  must  rush  forward  to 
the  abyss,  and  make  the  plunge  my  fate  ordains." 

"But  will  you  not  do  right,  brother?"  inquired 
Nicolai.  "Simply  do  right.  Begin  with  your  enemy, 
and  restore  what  is  his  by  the  most  sacred  ties  of 
nature." 

"  Ha !  I  understand  you  now,"  he  exclaimed,  with 
rising  rage.  "You  are  in  league  with  my  foe,  and 
came  here  by  his  counsel  and  for  his  interest  as  his 
emissary.  This  cancels  all  my  obligations  and  changes 
all  the  fraternal  feeling  you  kindled  in  my  heart. 
I  renounce  you  and  I  reject  your  mediation." 

"Ruric,  I  implore  you  to  give  me  the  girl  this  very 
moment.  You  have  made  her  mother  a  maniac,  and 
sent  her  to  her  grave ;  you  have  turned  her  home  to 
desolation,  and  driven  forth  her  father  an  exile  and  a 
wanderer  for  years.  Only  within  a  few  days  have  we 
discovered  that  you  are  the  cause  of  these  agonies. 
Surely  you  have  revenge  enough.  Now  be  just  and 
restore,  and  your  future  will  yet  have  light  and  peace." 

At  these  words  a  cloud  from  below  seemed  to 
envelop  Ruric,  and  through  it  his  rage  flamed  like  the 
storm-lightnings.  He  was  at  first  too  much  agitated 
for  utterance,  .but  after  a  few  moments  of  ominous 
silence  the  tempest  burst  forth. 


THE    BROTHERS.  341 

"You  have  learned  from  my  enemy  the  secret  of  my 
life.  For  this,  as  I  hate  him,  so  will  I  hate  you.  You 
may  have  my  flesh,  my  blood,  my  eye,  my  heart,  my 
life  a  thousand  times,  but  the  girl,  never  ! " 

"Pause,  brother,"  interposed  JSTicolai,  gently.  "A 
mother  crazed  and  killed,  a  house  ruined,  a  father 
miserable  in  his  despairing  sorrow — this  should  glut 
even  thy  vengeance  !  But  these  are  not  the  arguments 
I  would  use.  I  would  start  you  on  a  new  path 
beginning  in  the  right,  and  which  will  terminate  in 
heaven  itself." 

"You  preach  in  vain,"  he  answered,  furiously.  "I 
will  hear  no  more.  I  know  no  right,  no  obligation, 
since  I  believe  in  no  God  and  no  hereafter.  The  drop 
your  affection  elicited  from  the  rock  has  frozen  into 
ice  harder  than  the  old  flint  itself." 

"But  consider  your  danger,  Ruric,"  he  replied  with 
firmness.  "  Pursuit  is  inevitable.  Your  life  will  be 
searched,  your  connections  here  discovered,  and  your 
misdeeds  punished.  The  police  will  soon  be  on  your 
track.  I  am  here  not  only  to  save  you  from  your  sin, 
but  to  warn  you  of  your  peril,  and  deliver  you  from 
the  doom  of  a  criminal.  All  the  power  of  two  great 
nations  will  be  combined  against  you,  so  that  escape 
will  be  impossible." 

"  I  defy  them  all,"  he  exclaimed,  with  fierce  triumph, 
"  and  I  will  baffle  them  all.  You  have  suspicions,  but 
no  proofs.  If  there  were  a  hell  and  I  on  the  edge  of 
its  flames,  heaven  could  not  tempt  me  from  my  prize. 
I  have  watched  her  for  years  as  the  gardener  nurses  the 


342  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

bloom  and  flavor  of  the  ripening  peach,  and  soon  the 
hour  of  supreme  bliss  and  vengeance  will  be  mine. 
You  cannot  rob  me  of  Paradise." 

As  he  spoke  these  words  the  fiend  in  him  suppressed 
all  that  was  good  and  hurled  him  back  into  the  old 
abyss  of  his  frightful  passions.  Hell  ruled  him  as  her 
own.  His  look  of  lust,  mingled  with  diabolical  hate, 
pierced  the  soul  of  Nicolai.  He  saw  the  terrible 
chasm  at  the  feet  of  the  girl,  while  above  it  and 
gazing  down  on  the  irretrievable  ruin  stood  a  father  in 
the  agony  of  despair. 

"Ruric,"  he  cried,  with  ineffable  sorrow  and  disgust, 
"you  cannot  mean  this.  It  cannot  be  that  you  are 
gloating  at  once  over  the  wreck  of  the  daughter  and 
the  pang  of  the  father.  This  is  the  work  of  a  devil. 
It  is  more  black  than  hell  itself." 

"But  it  is  my  joy  and  prize,  Nicolai.  I  glory  in 
it.  Your  Almighty  shall  not  stop  me.  I  swear  I  will 
have  the  vengeance  for  which  I  have  so  long  toiled 
and  waited." 

"And  I  swear,"  said  Nicolai,  "that  I  will  defeat 
you.  My  God  will  help  me,  and  snatch  your  victim 
from  your.  arms.  I  will  triumph.  Mark  it,  I  will 
triumph." 

The  brothers  parted.  Born  in  the  same  hour, 
nurtured  at  the  same  breast,  kissed  by  the  same  lips, 
taught  by  the  same  maternal  love,  and  tried  by  the 
same  temptations,  the  one  was  the  impersonation  of  all 
that  was  good  in  human  nature  and  the  other  of  all 
that  was  evil. 


I 


u  In  the  morning  he  walked  forth  with  the  dawn  to  calm  his  soul." 

Page  455. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

EDWARD    STEWART. 

MID  the  blood  and  storm  and  flame 
of  the  French  Revolution,  men, 
themselves  destined  to  the  guillo 
tine,  founded  the  Polytechnic  School, 
of  Paris,  making  thus  a  place  and  a 
work  in  the  world  for  thousands  who 
would  have  otherwise  been  intellectual  orphans, 
but  who,  as  engineers,  have  been  a  power  in 
our  modern  society.  Technical  education  had 
its  birth  in  the  throes  of  a  social  and  polit 
ical  earthquake.  It  trains  not  only  mind, 
but  muscle ;  it  follows  the  lecture-room  by 
the  workshop,  and,  with  a  discipline  equal  to  the  clas 
sical  in  breadth  and  strength,  it  graduates  youth  who 
are  at  once  brothers  to  the  scholar  and  brothers 
to  the  laborer,  and  thus  creates  new  links,  binding 
together  the  extremes  of  society. 

As  an  engineer,  Edward  Stewart  was  the  outgrowth 
of  such  a  technical  school.  His  father  was  a  naval 
officer,  who  had  died  in  battle,  and  left  his  widow 
means  just  sufficient  to  educate  her  son.  Thus,  with 
the  refinements  of  good  birth  and  a  lovely  home, 
he  had  every  stimulus  to  manly  exertion.  For  math- 


346  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

ematics,  mechanics  and  drafting,  he  had  distinguished 
ability.  Indeed,  he  just  missed  the  creative  genius  of 
the  artist,  as  shown  by  his  exquisite  skill  in  caric 
ature.  His  trained  faculties,  joined  to  the  shrewd 
and  long  experience  of  John  Standfast,  had  given  a 
new  impulse  to  the  Alma  shops,  destined  to  excel 
those  of  the  whole  country.  The  two  men,  so  differ 
ent  in  birth,  gifts  and  education,  soon  learned  to 
respect  each  other,  and  became  confidential  friends. 

Stewart  was  nearly  six  feet  in  height,  healthful  and 
muscular,  with  a  slight  stoop  in  his  shoulders,  and  a 
nose,  chin,  mouth  and  moustache,  ladies,  young  and 
old,  pronounced  perfect.  A  quiet  humor  lurked  in  his 
eye  and  on  his  lip,  and  often  would  sparkle  through 
his  natural  reserve,  to  enliven  what  he  said  and  wrote. 
He  was  manly,  courageous,  and,  while  modest  and 
unobtrusive,  equal  to  any  emergency.  Although  a 
collegiate  graduate,  his  strong  sense  and  kind  heart 
gave  him  a  control  over  the  workmen  superior  to  that 
even  of  Standfast.  Having  received  a  message  from 
General  Sparker,  Edward  was  now  awaiting  in  the 
parlor  the  appearance  of  that  venerated  gentleman, 
who  had  been  strangely  drawn  to  him  by  the  first 
passing  glance,  and  who,  now  entering,  said : 

"  Good-morning,  Mr.  Stewart.  I  am  sorry  to  have 
detained  you,  but  you  know  that  age  is  sluggish  in 
its  motions,  and  that  I  can  now  plead  eighty  years 
as  my  numerous  apologies." 

"  Good-morning,  General,"  answered  Edward,  with  a 
look  and  voice  of  profound  respect.  "  Do  not  think 


EDWARD    STEWART.  347 

of  the  delay.  I  am  in  your  employment  and  my 
whole  time  and  service  are  at  your  disposal." 

"  I  have  examined  your  drawings,  Mr.  Stewart. 
Your  touch  is  fine,  and  your  eye  trained  and  delicate. 
Your  inventions  will  be  of  great  value.  The  first  is 
a  vast  improvement  on  our  old  air-brake,  and  the  last 
will  obviate  the  jolting  and  jangling  of  stoppage  bet 
ter  than  anything  I  have  ever  seen.  But  the  best 
proof  is  success,  and  I  am  determined  to  witness  the 
experiment  myself." 

"You  do  me  great  honor,"  said  Edward,  glowing 
and  blushing  with  pleasure.  "I  will  do  all  in  my 
power  to  vindicate  your  judgment  and  fulfill  your 
prediction." 

"When  can  you  have  three  cars  and  a  locomotive 
prepared  so  as  to  ensure  your  experiment  ? "  inquired 
the  General. 

"A  week   will  give  me  ample  time." 

"Let  it  be  so,  Mr.  Stewart.  It  will  suit  my  health 
and  strength  better  to  be  with  you  in  the  morning." 
Then,  looking  at  his  watch,  the  General  continued:  "It 
is  now  just  ten  o'clock.  Be  ready  precisely  one  week 
from  this  hour.  You  know  that  with  me  punctuality 
is  a  virtue.  It  has  been  a  chief  element  of  my 
success." 

"You  may  depend  upon  me,  General,"  said  Edward. 
"  Every  energy  of  brain  and  muscle  shall  be  taxed  to 
meet  your  appointment." 

"And  now,"  resumed  the  wise  and  venerable  man, 
"I  believe  that  you  have  inventive  genius  and  complete 


348  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

education.  These  are  great  gifts  seldom  united.  I  will 
drop  in  your  ear  a  hint  which  results  from  my  long 
experience.  Apply  yourself  to  discoveries  in  electricity 
as  a  motive  power.  It  is  destined  to  light  the  world, 
to  heat  the  world,  and  to  drive  the  world.  The  expense 
of  acids  and  metals  is  objected,  but  see  there,  Mr. 
Stewart ! "  said  the  General,  with  a  sparkling  eye  and 
illuminated  face,  pointing  through  the  window.  "  See 
yon  clouds  !  What  power  flashes  from  one  to  the 
other  !  No  acid,  no  zinc,  no  copper  !  Only  two  strata 
of  mists  !  The  upper  cold,  the  lower  warm  !  Hence 
unequal  temperature  develops  the  fluid.  What  nature 
does  there  now  in  yon  heavens  science  can  and  will 
do  in  moving  the  locomotive,  the  steam-vessel,  and  all 
the  machineries  of  our  world.  As  water  has  furnished 
steam,  so  water  will  furnish  electricity,  and  be  the 
mother  of  light,  heat  and  power  in  the  operations  of 
man  which  are  to  make  a  millennial  rest  for  our 
humanity." 

This  was  the  simple  eloquence  of  truth.  General 
Sparker  glowed  as  he  spoke  like  an  old  prophet. 
Stewart  felt  his  heart  beating  with  a  sympathetic  joy. 
What  a  fire  the  enthusiasm  of  age  kindles  in  the 
generous  and  responsive  breast  of  youth  !  How  sacred 
the  tie  created  in  that  memorable  hour !  General 
Sparker  would  have  given  his  whole  fortune  had  his 
only  son,  Walter,  possessed  the  natural  and  acquired 
gifts  of  Edward  Stewart,  and  been  capable  of  the  same 
noble  thoughts,  feelings  and  aspirations.  But  money 
can  no  more  create  talent  than  it  can  conquer  death. 


EDWARD    STEWART.  349 

After  a  few  other  words  the  men  parted,  and 
Edward  Stewart  went  to  the  shops  to  prepare  for  his 
toil  and  his  triumph. 

But  he  was  to  encounter  difficulties.  No  bright 
morning  was  ever  unfollowed  by  a  midnight.  Evil 
lurks  in  everything.  Bidman,  like  a  genius  of  spite, 
had  overheard  in  the  study  the  conversation  of  the 
parlor.  Envy,  jealousy,  rage,  were  burning  in  his 
sinister  heart.  His  beefy  chin  and  neck  grew  red 
with  rising  blood,  and  the  features  of  his  face  reflected 
the  passions  of  his  soul.  Descended  from  a  long  line 
of  ignorant  doctors,  celebrated  for  practices  by  steam, 
roots  and  herbs,  he  was,  like  them,  an  adventurer  in 
the  world.  He  had  endeavored  to  ground  a  medical 
education  on  an  uncultured  mind,  but  finding  his 
diploma  no  passport  to  success,  he  soon  followed  his 
congenial  bent  toward  artful  bargains,  and  rose  to 
wealth  by  plausible  cunning  and  a  marriage  to  the 
daughter  of  General  Sparker,  whom  he  had  long  since 
fretted  and  disgusted  to  her  grave.  The  General 
himself  soon  measured  the  man,  and  the  alliance  was 
the  thorn  and  blot  of  his  life.  In  addition  to  his 
cold  greed  and  selfishness,  Bidman  was  intensely  and 
amusingly  ashamed  of  his  family  history,  and  longed 
to  obliterate  it  from  his  own  memory  and  that  of 
society.  He  was  the  most  loathsome  type  of  the 
American  snob. 

Bidman,  leaving  General  Sparker's  mansion,  walked 
in  haste  to  the  office  of  Walter,  who,  seeing  his  agita 
tion,  said  : 


350  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

"  What's  the  matter,  Saul  ?  You  look  as  if  some 
man  had  punched  a  hole  in  your  pictures,  or  hurled  a 
brick-bat  into  your  conservatory,  or  cast  a  reflection 
on  your  ancestors." 

"Curse  you,  Walter,"  he  said  sharply.  "It's  no 
time  for  fun,  I  tell  you.  Edward  Stewart  will  be  your 
ruin  and  mine  yet,  before  the  General  gets  under 
ground." 

"Nonsense,  Bidman,"  returned  Walter,  laughing. 
"You're  scared,  as  sometimes  when  you've  a,  fit  of  the 
colic,  and  lie  swearing  and  shivering  from  fear  of 
your  shroud  and  coffin." 

"Stop  this,  Walter,"  he  cried,  in  his  annoyance  and 
rage.  "If  we  don't  get  ahead  of  this  upstart  he'll 
toimble  you  and  me  into  a  ditch  like  a  train  off  the 
track." 

"Why,  Saul,"  replied  Walter,  with  a  curl  of  his  lip, 
"  fear  and  suspicion  make  you  a  fool.  Tumble  you 
and  me  into  the  ditch  !  Yes  !  When  he  can  kick  yon 
forty-two  ton  locomotive  from  that  bridge  into  the 
river.  What's  up  now  ?" 

"Your  father  has  examined  the  fellow's  cursed 
drawings,  given  him  an  order  for  three  cars  and  a 
locomotive  for  his  experiment,  and  appointed  a  day  for 
a  trial  which  he  is  to  witness  himself.  I  heard  their 
conversation  in  his  study  and  they  are  becoming  faster 
friends  than  is  for  your  interest  or  mine." 

"That  is  serious,"  said  Walter.  "I  have  a  fear  of 
harm,  myself.  But  what  are  you  going  to  do  about 
it,  brother  Saul  ?  I  want  to  know." 


EDWARD    STEWART.  351 

"Do  you  remember,  Walter,  when  Prince  Tolono 
visited  our  Alma  shops  ? " 

"I  do  that,"  replied  Walter,  amused  at  the  recollec 
tion.  "  We  expected  the  coming  Majesty  of  a  Euro 
pean  Kingdom,  uniting  in  himself  the  royal  blood  of 
Bourbons,  Hapsburgs,  and  Braganzas,  to  appear  in 
some  state,  even  in  this  republican  land,  worthy  of 
his  illustrious  throne  and  ancestry.  I  remember  his 
slouched  hat,  his  ungloved  fingers,  and  unravelled 
pantaloons,  as  he  emerged  from  a  trap-door  after 
examining  greasy  machinery, .  rubbing  his  princely 
hands  with  a  great  wad  of  oakum." 

"  Well ! "  replied  Bidman,  true  to  the  inherted  in 
stincts  of  ancestral  root-doctors,  herb-doctors,  and 
steam-doctors,  "I  hated  the  sight  of  him  from  the 
first.  Too  democratic  for  my  tastes,  Walter ! " 

"Yes!  Saul,  he  did  look  common  beside  your  topaz 
watch-seal,  diamond  breast-pin,  and  republican  make 
up  generally.  But  what  is  all  this  to  the  point  ? " 

"And  your  father,  when  he  dined  in  the  car,  would 
not  invite  me  to  the  table,"  said  Bidman,  scowling  at 
the  recollection,  "  where  this  royal  upstart  sat  alone 
bolting  his  meal,  like  a  hungry  track-mender  after  a 
day's  round  over  the  rails.  But  I  had  my  revenge  on 
them  both." 

"What,  Saul,"  replied  Walter,  "on  father  and  Prince 
Tolono?" 

"Yes,  on  them  both,"  answered  Bidman  with  a 
low  leer. 

"But  how,   Saul.       Tell  me  how?" 


353  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

"It  was  a  hot  July  morning.  The  old  man  and 
the  Prince  were  walking  side  by  side,  looking  and 
feeling  large.  My  coachman,  Sam,  was  driving  me  a 
little  behind  them  with  my  splendid  carriage  and  gold- 
mounted  blacks.  I  gave  him  a  touch  and  a  wink,  and 
on  he  drove  like  a  train  behind  time,  and  raised  a 
cloud  of  dust  that  powdered  the  General  and  his  noble 
guest  as  if  they  had  been  dragged  on  their  backs 
along  a  dry  road  in  Summer  for  a  half-a-mile.  I  tell 
you,  it  was  one  of  the  sweetest  moments  of  my  life,  if 
it  was  your  father,  who  has  never  loved  me  any  more 
than  I  have  loved  him." 

"Well,  Saul,"  replied  Walter,  "I  don't  like  this. 
If  you  have  no  affection  for  father,  I  have,  and,  bad 
as  I  am,  curse  me,  if  I  don't  venerate  him  as  if 
he  were  an  old  Scripture  Patriarch.  Still,  I  don't  like 
this  alliance  with  Edward  Stewart  whom  he  prefers  to 
me,  his  own  flesh  and  blood.  But  I  don't  see  the 
point  of  your  story  yet." 

"It's  this,  Walter,"  replied  Bidman,  with  an  ex 
pression  of  mean  cunning.  "  We  must  throw  dust 
once  more  in  the  old  man's  eyes,  and  blind  Edward 
Stewart,  so  that  they'll  both  fall  into  the  ditch  together 
and  lose  their  love  for  each  other.  We  must  spoil 
this  pretty  experiment." 

"Well,  Saul,"  replied  young  Sparker,  musingly  and 
sadly.  "You  know  and  I  know  that  I  ought  to  please 
my  father  and  not  deceive  him.  Yet  I  seem  sold  to 
you  and  the  devil.  I  neglect  my  business,  pursue  my 
pleasure,  make  my  position  uncertain,  and  then  use  your 


EDWARD    STEWART.  353 

tricks  to  make  it  secure  and  myself  worse.  But  I  follow- 
my  evil  genius  with  my  eyes  open,  and  swear  I'll 
blow  up  this  infernal  Stewart,  if  you  and  I  explode 
with  him,  and  come  down  from  air  to  earth  in  bits  of 
flesh  .and  bone  small  as  your  eyes  or  even  your  soul." 

Bidman  winced  under  the  insult,  but  as  his  purpose 
was  gained  said  nothing. 

"Walter,"   he    began,     "what    workmen  will   Stewart 
want  to  help  him  ? " 

"Ned  Taylor  and  Jack  Jones." 

"Send  down  an  order  to  transfer  them  to  the  shops 
at  the  other  end  of  the  road." 

"All  right!    I'll  do  it." 

"Then  see  that  the  cars  and  the  locomotive  on 
which  he  wants  to  operate  are  removed  too.  That 
will  bring  him  behind  time,  disorder  his  calculations, 
and  incur  your  father's  displeasure,  and  the  old  man 
will  not  likely  venture  another  experiment.  When 
he's  out  of  the  game  we  can  easily  dispose  of  your 
friend  Stewart." 

"  Worthy  of  yourself,  Saul,"  said  Walter  with  a 
sneer.  "You  can  beat  your  master,  Satan,  in  a  trick 
any  day,  and  fool  me  into  it  against  sense,  heart  and 
conscience.  Our  pay-day  will  come,  and  you  and  I  go 
to  protest  before  we  know  it.  Yet,  curse  me,  this 
Edward  Stewart  is  after  my  place  and  my  girl,  and 
I'll  ruin  him,  if  I  kill  myself." 

"Ha!"  said  Bidman  with  surprise.  "  Belle  Stand 
fast's  in  the  case,  too  !  Better  and  better !  Now  I'm 
sure  we're  on  the  right  track.  In  three  months  this 


354  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

fellow    will   be    out    of    the   shops,    and  leave    the  way 
clear  for  love  and  beauty." 

We  have  seen  what  a  glow  the  encouragements 
of  General  Sparker  had  kindled  in  Edward  Stewart. 
He  was  neither  excitable  nor  imaginative,  but  to  .have 
his  inventions  approved  by  so  celebrated  a  Railway 
President,  and  ordered  for  their  trial  was  a  signal 
triumph  for  so  young  a  man.  But  his  bright  visions 
were  soon  clouded.  Suddenly  mountains  closed  him 
round. 

John  Standfast,  in  an  adjoining  room,  had  been 
compelled  to  overhear  the  conversation  between  Saul 
Bidman,  and  Walter  Sparker.  He  instantly  resolved 
to  assist  Stewart,  and  not  suffer  him  to  be  the 
victim  of  a  plot  so  infamous.  When  he  had  com 
municated  his  information,  for  a  moment,  his  friend 
stood  aghast.  An  abyss  was  opening  at  his  feet,  and 
gloom  gathering  over  his  head.  Envy,  jealousy,  hatred 
were  combining  for  his  overthrow.  But  he  felt  strong 
in  his  manly  innocence.  His  path  was  to  be  through 
trials  and  bitter  oppositions.  Yet  his  whole  soul  was 
aroused  to  perseverance  and  to  triumph. 

"Well,  Mr.  Stewart,"  said  John,  after  a  long  silence, 
"you  seem  like  a  locomotive  after  a  collision,  when 
it  finds  it  convenient  to  stand  still." 

"What  can  I  do,  Mr.  Standfast  ?"  cried  Edward. 
I  cannot  give  it  up,  and  yet,  if  I  enter  into  a  contest 
with  the  first  and  second  Vice-Presidents  I  seem 
almost  certain  to  be  wrecked.  General  Sparker  is 
too  old  to  protect  me.  I  feel  that  this  is  to  be  the  last 


EDWARD    STEWART.  355 

service  he  can  render  me.  When  he  is  out  of  the 
way,  Bidman  and  young  Sparker  will  be  omnipotent 
for  ruin." 

"  I  have  a  plan  for  you,"  answered  Standfast, 
quietly  ;  "  and  I  know  that  you  will  win  in  the  end. 
As  a  practical  mechanic,  I  have  examined  your  inven 
tions,  and,  like  General  Sparker,  am  sure  of  their  suc 
cess.  It  is  not  likely  that  too  such  old  heads  as 
ours  will  be  misled  by  a  sham.  Besides,  I  understand 
you,  and  respect  you,  and  feel  that  it  is  my  duty  to 
help  you  against  two  men  I  know  to  be  bad.  Bid 
man  is  chiefly 'to  blame,  and  if  he  is  not  stopped  he'll 
soon  wreck  Walter  Sparker,  and  the  road  along  with 
him." 

"Thank  you,  John,"  said  Edward,  grasping  his 
friend's  hand;  "  thank  you  a  thousand  times.  This  is 
a  debt  I  can  never  pay.  Where  you  might  have  met 
me  with  suspicion  and  jealousy  as  a  rival  you  treat 
me  as  an  old  friend.  God  bless  you  for  your  gener 
osity  !  You  have  lifted  a  mountain  off  my  heart 
already.  What  do  you  propose  ?" 

"When  the  order  comes  to  remove  the  men,"  replied 
Standfast,  "  say  nothing  but  let  them  go.  In  the 
same  way  make  no  objection  to  sending  off  the  loco 
motive  and  the  three  cars  assigned  by  General  Sparker 
for  your  experiment.  There  are  two  old  passenger 
coaches,  a  sleeper  called  Victory  and  a  locomotive 
named  Experiment,  all  so  much  out  of  repair  no 
one  will  think  of  them.  You  and  I  will  work  at 
nights  and  quietly  prepare  these.  No  one  will  dream 


356  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

of  examining  them  or  noticing  our  improvements. 
When  General  Sparker  presents  himself  to  witness  the 
experiment  we  will  be  ready  for  him,  and  without 
having  had  any  trouble  with  your  enemies." 

"But,  Mr.  Standfast,"  said  Edward,  shaking  his 
head  with  a  look  of  distress,  "trouble  will  come  soon 
enough,  and  not  only  for  me  but  for  you.  This  will 
be  known,  and  you  will  excite  the  deadly  hatred  of 
two  men  who  have  wealth  and  power,  and  who  may 
ruin  you  and  your  family.  If  General  Sparker  had 
long  to  live,  you  would  be  safe  under  his  shadow,  but 
alas !  the  noble  old  patriarch  is  fast  tottering  to  his 
grave.  I  cannot  suffer  you  to  sacrifice  yourself  for 
me.  It  would  be  selfish  and  contemptible." 

"  Mr.  Stewart,  replied  John  Standfast,  with  his 
quiet  smile  and  look  of  decision  and  kindness,  "I  have 
thought  it  all  over  and  over,  turning  the  subject  round 
in  my  mind,  as  I  would  a  valve  in  my  hand  to  see  that 
the  plates  were  smooth  and  the  joints  tight,  and  I  have 
come  to  my  conclusion.  In  my  experience,  I  have 
always  found  it  pay  to  do  right,  and  take  the  conse 
quences.  General  Sparker  is  the  chief  officer  of  our 
company,  and  his  will  is  my  law.  Besides,  he  was  my 
friend  when  I  was  a  poor  lad.  To  him  I  owe  all  I 
am  in  the  world,  and  I  love  him  as  a  father.  I  can 
have  no  greater  duty  or  pleasure  than  to  carry  out  his 
plans." 

"Standfast  and  Stewart  did  not  have  to  embrace, 
or  even  to  shake  hands.  They  were  not  demonstrative 
men.  Each  stood  in  his  place  for  a  moment,  silent 


EDWARD   STEWART.  357 

and  motionless.  Without  an  outward  expression, 
they  felt  their  inmost  souls  pledged  to  each  other  in  a 
perpetual  bond  of  affection  and  fidelity.  Nothing  in 
the  universe  can  be  stronger  than  the  tie  which  unites 
two  natures  so  noble  and  generous. 

The  order  for  the  transfer  of  workmen,  locomotive 
and  cars  came  from  Walter  Sparker  precisely  as  Saul 
Bidman  had  advised,  and  as  John  Standfast  and 
Edward  Stewart  expected.  With  its  issue  and 
enforcement,  the  two  Vice-Presidents  gloated  over  the 
ruin  of  their  victim  as  an  assured  fact. 

During  the  next  week,  while  the  machinery  was  in 
motion,  John  and  Edward  accomplished,  unobserved, 
all  their  needed  work.  About  midnight,  a  lamp  began 
to  glimmer  in  the  Alma  shops.  Often  it  would  dart 
mysteriously  about,  and  occasionally  be  taken  out  under 
the  stars  to  an  adjoining  shed.  Two  forms  moved 
silently  around,  casting  unwonted  shadows.  Occasion 
ally  could  be  heard  low  voices,  whose  whispers  were 
accompanied  by  nods  and  looks  of  intelligence.  Then 
clinked  through  the  air  the  subdued  noise  of  a  ham 
mer.  Other  sounds  familiar  in  shops  were  so  muffled 
as  not  to  attract  attention.  Thus  the  work  steadily 
grew  in  the  light  and  in  the  darkness,  and  advanced 
to  its  completion.  When  the  expected  day  arrived  all 
was  ready. 

His  enemies  marveled  at  the  acquiescence  of  Stewart, 
and  supposed  that,  filled  with  alarm  and  despair,  he 
had  told  his  patron  that  his  task  was  impossible,  and 
abandoned  it.  Conceive  their  fear  and  rage  when  the 


^o8  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

time  appointed  came,  and  showed  General  Sparker, 
with  his  feeble  gait  and  venerable  locks,  supported 
along  the  street  on  the  arm  of  Edward  Stewart !  This 
in  the  village  was  an  event.  All  eyes  and  faces 
welcomed  the  grand  old  man  as  he  passed  through  the 
place  created  by  his  own  genius  and  enterprise.  No 
European  nobleman,  amid  his  ancestral  halls  and  estates, 
ever  had  so  true  and  enthusiastic  a  greeting.  It  was 
the  reward  of  talents  and  virtues  such  as  could  only 
have  grown  to  their  splendid  maturity  under  the 
shadow  of  republican  institutions. 

As  General  Sparker  passed  their  offices,  his  son  and 
son-in-law  were  compelled,  in  decency,  to  come  down 
and  speak  to  him,  but  their  faces  betrayed  their  gloom, 
hatred  and  disappointment,  while  toward  Edward 
Stewart,  they  darted  glances  full  of  satanic  malignity. 

" Doctor,  are  you  ready?"  inquired  the  General,  with 
much  of  his  old  vigor  and  animation.  "  Come  along, 
Walter,"  he  continued,  "this  may  be  my  last  ride  on 
our  road,  and  I  want  you  both  to  enjoy  it  with  me." 

The  two  guilty  and  abashed  men  stammered  out 
their  excuses,  and  the  quick  eye  of  General  Sparker 
noticed  their  confusion. 

"What  does  this  mean?"  he  inquired.  "I  do  not 
understand  it." 

"We  did  not  know,"  said  Saul  Bidman,  with  the 
most  perplexed  embarrassment,  "that  you  were  to 
be  out  this  morning." 

"Not  know  it!"  cried  the  General,  in  surprise. 
"And  you,  too,  Walter!  Were  you  ignorant?" 


EDWARD   STEWART.  359 

"Until  we  saw  you  on  the  street,"  he  replied,  with 
a  painful  hesitation,  "we  did  not  suppose  that  you 
would  he  here  at  all." 

"Why,  my  son,"  inquired  the  General,  "did  not 
Mr.  Stewart  inform  you  what  I  directed  him  to  do, 
and  that  I  wished  you  to  go  with  us." 

"General,"  interposed  Bidman,  with  his  recovered 
assurance,  "there  is  some  mistake.  We  have  not 
made  our  arrangements  to  witness  your  experiment, 
hut  we  will  explain  all  when  you  return.  I  will  call 
this  evening  and  make  everything  clear." 

"  Well,"  said  the  General,  seeming  quite  bewildered, 
"this  is  most  extraordinary,  and  I  must  understand 
fully  what  it  means.  Be  sure  to  come  as  you  have 
appointed,  and  make  a  full  explanation." 

Nothing  escaped  the  eagle  eye  of  General  Sparker. 
Already  he  suspected  a  conspiracy.  But  the  whistle 
of  the  locomotive  was  now  heard,  and  the  train  was 
soon  waiting  to  receive  him.  Taking  again  the  arm 
of  Edward  Stewart,  he  walked  with  him  to  the  coach, 
was  helped  by  him  up  the  platform,  and  sat  with  him 
on  the  seat  before  the  eyes  of  Saul  Bidman  and 
Walter. 

"Mr.  Stewart,"  said  the  General,  "I  was  sorry  at 
first  not  to  have  my  own  private  car,  with  the  Eagle, 
to  fly  with  us  to  success.  However,  I  am  now  satisfied. 
The  locomotive  is,  I  perceive,  called  Experiment,  and 
this  old  sleeper  Victory.  Both  are  significant  names, 
suitable  to  the  occasion,  and  I  believe  are  omens  of 
our  triumph." 


300  KNIGHTS  OF  LABOR. 

Just  then,  as  the  train  started,  the  whistle  shrieked 
out  into  what  seemed  a  wild  signal  of  victory.  It 
pierced  the  ears  and  cut  into  the  hearts  of  Saul  and 
Walter,  and  excited  in  them  fearful  passions,  whose 
effects  we  are  yet  to  record. 

The  experiment  was  wholly  successful.  Both  inven 
tions  proved  of  inestimable  value  in  the  opinions  of 
both  General  Sparker  and  John  Standfast.  It  was  to 
Stewart,  of  course,  an  hour  of  joy  and  triumph — one 
t)f  the  brightest  in  his  whole  life,  and  big  with 
momentous  results  he  never  could  have  anticipated. 
On  the  return,  when  the  train  stood  opposite  the  offices 
of  Saul  Bidman  and  "Walter  Sparker,  while  they  sat 
looking  from  their  windows,  the  General  emerged  from 
the  door  of  the  car  again,  supported  by  Edward 
Stewart ;  and  adjusting  his  glasses,  read  from  a  paper 
in  his  hand,  in  a  loud,  clear  voice,  an  order  he  had 
prepared  while  stopping  at  a  station  : 

"The  first  and  second  Vice-Presidents  are  hereby 
directed  to  have  the  two  inventions  of  Mr.  Edward 
Stewart,  which  I  have  just  examined  and  tested,  intro 
duced  along  the  trunk  line  and  all  the  branches  of 
our  Railway.  ADAM  SPARKEK." 

A  group  of  workmen  and  villagers  had  again  col 
lected  to  greet  the  aged  veteran,  and  now  their  accla 
mations  burst  into  the  air,  and  Edward  Stewart  was 
received  with  all  the  noisy  demonstrations  of  a  public 
triumph.  This  was  the  last  official  act  of  the  vener 
able  President.  Its  results  amply  justified  his  wonderful 
wisdom. 


EDWARD    STEWART.  361 

By  the  General's  direction,  Edward  Stewart  carried 
the  order  to  Bidman  and  young  Sparker.  He  delivered 
it  with  a  quiet  dignity,  yet  I  will  not  say  that  there 
may  not  have  been  a  look  in  his  eye  and  a  smile  on 
his  lip  that  faintly  indicated  the  mighty  exultation 
which  was  burning  and  bursting  in  his  breast.  After 
he  left  the  room,  the  tempest  came  forth  in  cries  and 
curses. 

"  Curse  the  upstart  I"  exclaimed  Walter,  fiercely. 
"He  shall  pay  for  this!" 

"  Give  me  your  hand  to  that,"  growled  Bidman, 
like  a  hyena  disturbed  over  his  midnight  bone.  "  I 
ewear  vengeance." 

"I  go  your  oath  better  a  million  times,"  cried 
Walter,  as  he  tore  his  father's  order  into  fragments. 
Some  pieces  he  threw  into  the  fire,  some  he  tossed 
out  of  the  window,  and  others  ground  with  his  heel 
on  the  floor,  uttering  terrible  imprecations. 


CHAPTER  V. 

WASHINGTON. 

HEN  ISTicolai  left  Ruric,  he  went  at 
once  to  the  stranger  who  wished 
to  be  called  Mr.  Petrovich.  He 
was  overwhelmed  by  the  degra 
dation  of  his  brother,  and,  with 
whatever  toil  and  sacrifice,  re 
solved  to  rescue  the  girl.  After  exhausting 
all  the  ingenuity  and  energy  of  the  New 
York  police,  it  occurred  to  him,  while  pass 
ing  along  the  street,  that  the  Russian  Ambas 
sador,  at  Washington,  had  better  be  con 
sulted.  Nicolai  himself  had  been  in  the 
country,  as  a  priest,  more  than  ten  years,  and  under 
stood  perfectly  the  ways  and  spoke  beautfully  the 
language  of  the  American  people,  whom  he  greatly 
loved  and  admired.  But  he  thought  that  some  official 
notice  should  be  given  of  the  important  pursuit  on 
which  he  was  now  so  determined.  Besides,  the  ambas 
sador  might  make  some  invaluable  suggestions.  When 
Mr.  Petrovich  learned  the  refusal  of  Ruric  and  the 
exposure  of  Lillie  to  ruin,  by  the  lust  and  vengeance 
of  the  Nihilist,  he,  at  first,  suffered  the  keenest 
agonies,  which,  however,  subsided  into  a  calm  and 


WASHINGTON.  365 

deathless  purpose  to  defeat  the  wretch  and  save  the 
girl. 

Inquiries,  as  we  have  seen,  were  first  long  and 
diligently  made  in  New  York,  and,  these  proving 
fruitless,  arrangements  were  completed  for  a  difficult 
search  which  might  last  for  years. 

Nicolai,  having  suggested  that  the  aid  of  an  adver 
tising  office  be  secured,  to  such  a  place  he  and  his 
friend  repaired.  In  a  spacious,  gloomy  room,  they 
found  three  sides,  from  floor  to  ceiling,  filled  with 
large  pigeon-holes,  containing  newspapers  from  every 
town  and  city  in  the  land — morning  dailies,  evening 
dailies,  weeklies,  bi-weeklies,  tri-weeklies,  monthlies  and 
bi-monthlies,  flimsy  magazines  and  ponderous  reviews, 
blazing  with  tremendous  advertisements  in  staring 
capitals  and  with  flaming  pictures,  contrived  to  sell  the 
stocks  of  the  Fortuna  Mining  Company,  and  proving, 
with  amazing  facts,  that  the  purchaser  of  its  invaluable 
certificates  must  be  a  modern  Midas  with  power  to 
turn  what  he  touched  to  gold,  and  thence  into  jewels, 
greenbacks,  lands,  houses,  necessaries,  luxuries,  and 
whatever  can  grace  and  gild  life  in  this  crowning  part  of 
our  grand  nineteenth  century.  It  was  supposed  that  the 
children  would  be  sent  to  some  distant  part  of  the 
country,  and  that  by  examining  these  numerous  news 
papers,  sooner  or  later,  some  hint  would  be  obtained 
as  a  guide  in  tracing  their  movements. 

When  these  arrangements  were  completed,  and  every 
inquiry  possible  exhausted  in  New  York,  Mr.  Petrovich 
and  Nicolai  took  the  cars  for  the  national  capital. 


366  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

Here  they  had  already  had  their  consultation  with  the 
Russian  Ambassador,  and  by  him  had  been  presented 
to  the  President,  the  Chief-Justice,  the  members  of 
the  Cabinet  and,  indeed,  to  the  principal  personages 
of  the  city,  which  they  had  explored  in  all  directions. 
Unable  to  obtain  any  information  in  regard  to  the 
objects  of  their  search,  and  now  intimately  acquainted 
with  each  other,  as  they  sauntered  along  the  avenue 
toward  the  Capitol,  they  concluded  to  employ  their 
leisure  in  an  examination  of  that  famous  edifice,  and 
compare  their  views  of  the  Government  and  of  the 
people. 

"Washington,"  said  Mr.  Petrovich,  "and  especially 
yon  Capitol,  afford  the  truest  pictures  of  the  Americans. 
Let  us  compare,  as  we  walk,  our  observations  and 
conclusions." 

"Agreed!"  cried  Mcolai.  "We  need  scarcely  go 
beyond  yon  Capitol  itself.  It  is  indeed  a  suggestive 
edifice.  Yes,  there  it  stands,  the  type  of  the  Republic." 

The  two  gentlemen  now  paused  arm-in-arm  before 
entering  the  grounds,  and  surveyed  the  stately  edifice 
to  obtain  a  deeper  and  fuller  impression. 

Mr.  Petrovich,  interrupting  the  silence,  began  by 
saying:  "Now,  my  friend,  give  me  first  your  opinion 
of  the  effect  of  the  building  as  a  whole." 

"Since  you  insist,"  answered  Nicolai,  "I  will 
express  a  conclusion  formed  after  the  observations  of 
many  years.  Yon  dome  Is  the  grandest  in  the 
world.  I  have  seen  the  Mosque  of  St.  Sophia,  the 
Church  of  St.  Peter's  at  Rome,  the  Duomo  of  Florence, 


WASHINGTON.  367 

the  1'Eglise  des  Invalides  of  Paris,  St.  Paul's  in  London, 
and  in  our  own  St.  Petersburg,  St.  Isaac's  flashing  in 
the  frost  and  glittering  in  its  lofty  gold — but  that 
republican  creation,  with  its  sweep  and  symmetry,  stands 
sublimest  in  its  matchless  majesty." 

"An  enthusiastic  preference  for  a  Russian  imperialist," 
said  Mr.  Petrovich,  smiling.  "Yet,  granting  what  you 
say,  the  dome  does  not  grow  up  out  of  the  building, 
but  looks  set  upon  it  rather  than  a  part  of  it,  resembling 
a  man  with  a  magnificent  head  on  an  insufficient 
body." 

"True!"  replied  Nicolai ;  "but  the  same  objection 
applies  to  nearly  every  dome  and  edifice  I  have 
mentioned,  and  seems  to  arise  from  some  difficulty  as 
yet  insuperable  to  architecture." 

"My  republicanized  friend,"  said  Mr.  Petrovich,  with 
a  yet  broader  smile,  "your  Capitol  fronts  the  wrong 
way.  That  it  may  face  the  sun,  like  an  Oriental 
temple,  it  turns  its  back  on  Washington,  which  ascends 
the  rear  stairs,  and  enters  the  rear  door.  The  architect 
will  be  immortal  who  wheels  the  noble  front  round  to 
this  side,  so  that  rising  above  that  hill  it  may  appear 
in  all  its  majesty.  These  colonnades  would  then  shine 
in  their  true  beauty  and  magnificence.  While  copies, 
like  the  dome,  they  are  yet  improvements  on  their 
European  originals." 

The  gentlemen  now  mounted  the  steps  and  pursued 
their  way  to  the  rotunda.  "This  is  certainly  noble  in 
its  conception  and  in  its  effect,"  said  Nicolai.  "To 
such  grandeur  you  cannot  deny  artistic  skill." 


368  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

"Yet,  after  all,  how  inferior  this  interior  to  that  of 
the  dome  of  St.  Peter's,  St.  Paul's,  or  our  own  St. 
Isaac's !  See  those  eternally  tomahawking  Indians,  in 
the  act  of  dealing  death,  stiff  and  expressionless  as 
their  defunct  victims !  Nearly  as  bad  are  these 
gigantic  painted  platitudes,  with  their  numerous  arms 
and  legs  squared  by  rule  and  compass.  In  the 
adjoining  room,  those  limbs  and  features  in  marble 
belong  to  corpses  instead  of  men,  while,  in  opposite 
extreme,  at  the  eastern  entrance,  the  statues  are 
ludicrous  in  the  excess  and  agony  of  their  action.  But 
above  all,"  he  exclaimed,  pointing  with  a  laugh  to  the 
pictured  allegories  over  their  heads,  "behold  yon  absurd 
mixture  of  ancient  forms,  robes  and  ideas  with  modern 
figures,  costumes  and  conceptions !  Ceres  sits  on  a 
patent-reaper!  Mercury  stands  in  the  midst  of  ware 
house  clerks,  bales  and  boxes !  Minerva  is  advising 
school  girls,  school  boys,  and  school  mistresses  !  Burly 
Vulcan,  a  blacksmith  in  the  divine  purple,  stands  by 
a  nineteenth  century  anvil !  Last  of  all  and  worst  of 
all,  see  Washington,  in  an  old  woman's  skirt,  serenely 
floating  in  a  circle  of  flying  and  trumpeting  nymphs ! 
Horses,  chariots,  machines,  trucks,  warehouses,  cannon, 
cannon-balls,  mortals,  immortals,  supposed  to  be  in  serial 
suspension,  but  looking  as  if  they  would  tumble  down 
on  our  heads !  In  American  Art,  as  in  American 
Literature,  I  fear,  what  is  good  is  exotic  and  what  is 
bad  is  indigenous." 

"I  am  sorry,  Mr.  Petrovich,"  rejoined  Nicolai, 
becoming  excited  in  his  tone  and  look,  "so  widely  to 


WASHINGTON.  369 

differ  from  you.  To  a  certain  extent,  I  admit  your 
criticism.  But  yon  sublime  dome  is  a  national  triumph. 
It  alone  points  to  a  glorious  future  in  every  domain  of 
creative  genius.  Considering  the  newness  of  the 
country,  and  the  magnitude  of  its  material  interests, 
both  Literature  and  Art  are  bright  with  promise. 
Science,  too,  here  is  in  its  youth  mature,  while  in 
agriculture  and  manufactures  this  republic  leads  the 
world. 

"I  find  in  this  country  much  polished  taste  and 
much  correct  judgment,"  rejoined  Mr.  Petrovich. 
"Americans  profit  by  their  intercourse  with  Europe, 
and  are  quick  to  borrow  and  even  improve.  But  in 
Literature  and  Art  the  very  spring  of  genius  is 
wanting." 

"You  amaze  me!"  said  Nicolai,  with  a  surprised  and 
bewildered  expression.  "May  not  your  imperialistic 
prejudices  affect  your  opinions  ?  In  these  Americans 
meet  all  the  marks  of  physical  and  intellectual  supe 
riority." 

"  This,  too,  I  concede,"  answered  Mr.  Petrovich  amused, 
"and  my  own  Russian  bias  also.  But  in  this  hard 
and  sharp  Republic  is  wanting  that  IDEAL  which  is  the 
impulse  of  the  imagination.  Without  it,  genius  dies. 
Here  in  pictures,  statues,  music,  poetry,  architecture,  is 
absent  that  immortal  aspiration  which  alone  sublimes 
and  glorifies.  All  is  materialistic — narrowed  to  earth 
— keen  as  a  bargain  and  correct  as  a  contract— never 
a  vision  of  the  Eternal.  This  was  the  breath  of  Greek 
Art,  the  inspiration  of  mediaeval  cathedrals,  the  light 


370  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

in  the  marbles  of  Angelo  and  over  the  canvas  of  Raphael. 
Not  an  edifice  in  this  land  represents  a  national  con 
ception.  The  temple  at  Jerusalem,  the  Parthenon  of 
Athens,  the  Capitol  in  Rome — even  the  Ottoman  St. 
Sophia— St.  Peter's,  St.  Paul's,  St.  Isaac's,  Notre  Dame 
— each  was  erected  to  express  the  religious  conscious 
ness  of  a  people.  A  Republic,  by  a  necessary  law, 
dethrones  God  and  Immortality.  Hence  it  is  the  tomb 
of  creative  genius." 

"  I  confess  that  I  am  startled  at  your  opinions," 
rejoined  Nicolai.  "May  I  suggest  a  partial  answer 
to  one  of  your  arguments  ?  Old  democratic  Athens 
was  the  cradle,  not  the  grave  of  the  beautiful." 

"But  the  glory  of  her  art,"  said  Mr.  Petrovich, 
sadly,  "  was  brief  as  splendid.  It  scarcely  survived  the 
life  of  Pericles." 

"I  see,"  said  Nicolai,  "that  in  defence  of  my 
American  friends  I  must  turn  prophet.  Christianity 
lives  in  the  national  consciousness  of  this  people.  Its 
vision  of  the  immortal  will  kindle  the  sublime  and 
the  beautiful  into  original  forms  which  will  give  new 
luster  to  art  and  illuminate  humanity  with  their 
splendor.  The  commingling  nations  here  will  mold  the 
past  of  the  world  into  the  ideal  of  its  future,  and 
furnish  the  type  of  its  last  and  best  manhood." 

The  color  flushed  over  the  cheek  and  into  the  fore 
head  of  Mr.  Petrovich  as  he  said,  with  evident  dis 
pleasure  : 

"Such  an  opinion  is  scarcely  to  be  reconciled  with 
your  loyalty  to  Russia." 


WASHINGTON.  371 

"ParJon  me,  your— I  mean  Mr.  Petrovich — if  I  have 
spoken  with  too  much  enthsiasm.  While  I  admire 
the  young  Republic,  my  life  is  yet  consecrated  to 
Russia.  To  me,  my  own  dear  country  is  more  pre 
cious  than  all  earth  besides." 

"Use  your  liberty  while  you  have  it,"  said  Mr. 
Petrovich,  smiling;  "but  be  careful  how  you  eulogize 
republics  under  the  shadow  of  his  Majesty's  throne. 
One  other  remark  I  will  venture,  even  if  you  think 
me  cynical.  As  in  this  republic  there  is  no  religious 
symbol,  so  there  is  no  national  name.  In  the  land  of 
the  Czar,  or  of  the  Emperor,  or  the  Queen,  a  citizen  says  : 
'I  am  a  Russian,  a  German,  an  Englishman.'  Here 
he  may  style  himself  a  Georgian,  a  Virginian,  a  Penn- 
sylvanian  ;  but  when  he  could  speak  of  himself  in  his 
supreme  political  relation  as  a  citizen  of  the  Republic, 
he  must  call  himself  an  American — a  word  to  which 
the  Canadian,  Mexican  and  Esquimaux  have  the  same 
title.  To  say,  '  I  am  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,' 
in  the  awkward  circumlocution,  dissipates  the  passionate 
love  which  would  have  been  kindled  for  a  land  giving 
a  name  to  its  people." 

"Yet,  in  no  country,"  said  Nicolai,  thoughtfully,  "is 
the  national  feeling  more  intense,  or  the  national  flag 
more  loved.  During  the  late  war,  its  stars  and  stripes 
excited  an  overmastering  enthusiasm,  which  was  the 
inspiration  of  victory.  This  country,  like  Russia,  has 
a  continuous  territory,  which  promotes  unity,  and  when 
the  British  Empire,  composed  of  scattered  and  distant 
provinces,  shall  be  exploded  to  fragments,  the  great 


372  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

monarchy  of  the  East,  and  this  great  republic  of  the 
West,  will,  together,  be  the  lights  of  the  world,  and 
Bhed  over  humanity  its  millennial  glory.  Now,  you  have 
the  dream  to  which  I  have  devoted  myself." 

When  Nicolai  had  thus  expressed  his  vision  in 
words,  he  paused  and  seemed  suddenly  excited  and 
alarmed.  Glancing  his  eye  to  the  opposite  side  of  the 
rotunda,  he  said,  with  a  painful  effort  for  control : 

"Excuse  me,  Mr.  Petrovich !  I  see  a  man  with 
whom  I  wish  to  speak.  If  you  will  remain  on  this  seat 
I  will  return  in  a  few  minutes." 

Crossing  the  rotunda  rapidly,  he  passed  into  a  hall, 
keeping  still  in  his  view  his  brother  Ruric,  whom  he  had 
seen,  and  now  followed  down  the  stairway  into  the 
basement  of  the  Capitol.  Concealing  himself  behind  a 
pillar,  he  overheard  the  conversation  of  his  brother  with 
two  men,  whom  he  soon  discovered  to  be  New  York 
Nihilists.  One  said,  in  a  low  whisper : 

"It  can't  be  done  this  morning.  The  House  is  in 
committee  and  the  Speaker  not  in  his  chair." 

"And  the  Vice-President,"  said  the  second,  "has  not 
yet'  returned.  I  can't  kill  a  man  a  hundred  miles 
away." 

"Well!"  said  Ruric,  "I'll  wait  no  longer."  Holding 
up  his  pistol  in  the  shadow  of  the  pillar,  he  continued, 
with  the  leer  and  look  of  a  fiend  :  "  The  cold  lead  in 
this  social  adjuster  weighs  just  two  hundred  grains.  It 
must  be  warmed  in  the  presidential  heart  this  morning. 
I  see  blood,  and  I  must  have  it,  if  I  hang.  Now's  my 
chance ;  you  may  take  yours  to-morrow." 


WASHINGTON.  373 

The  two  murderous  villains  walked  down  the  hall 
and  left  the  brothers  on  the  opposite  sides  of  the  pillar. 
How  antagonistic  the  characters  separated  by  that 
marble !  From  the  same  womb,  yet  differing  as  Hell 
from  Heaven  !  Each  unconscious  of  the  presence  of  the 
other,  they  stood  in  profound  silence,  one  meditating 
the  murder  which  the  other  sought  to  prevent.  How 
sharp  and  terrible  the  contrasts  of  this  mysterious 
human  existence  ! 

The  fiendish  plan  rushed  across  the  vision  of  Nicolai 
in  pictures  of  flame.  He  saw  that  it  was  intended  to 
leave  no  Executive  for  the  nation,  and  plunge  it  into 
universal  anarchy.  Satan  alone  instigated  a  plot  so 
diabolical.  Nicolai  found  himself  trembling  in  the 
presence  of  this  frightful  iniquity,  but,  by  a  strong 
effort,  subdued  his  tremor,  and  brought  his  nerves 
under  the  control  of  his  will.  All  his  faculties  of  body 
and  soul  now  calmly  concentrated  themselves  into  one 
supreme  purpose.  He  suddenly  moved  round  the  pillar 
and  confronted  Ruric,  who  started  and  became  livid 
with  his  hideous  rage. 

"  Curse  you.  Nicolai ! "  he  exclaimed,  while  his  eye 
was  bloodshot  as  a  tiger's.  "You  have  heard  me.  One 
of  these  balls  is  for  you." 

But  he  was  too  slow.  Nicolai  quickly  knocked  the 
pistol  out  of  his  hand,  and  threw  his  arms  around  the 
Nihilist.  The  brothers  were  face  to  face  and  heart  to 
heart  in  mortal  struggle,  as  if  the  Good  and  the  Evil 
were  fighting  for  final  victory.  Some  supernatural 
power  seemed  to  convert  into  steel  the  sinews  of  Nicolai, 


374  KNIGHTS   OF    LABOR. 

His  embrace  was  that  of  the  lion  or  the  anaconda. 
He  felt  as  if  his  arms  were  crushing  into  the  flesh  and 
breaking  the  bones  of  his  antagonist,  who,  relaxing  his 
grasp,  and  almost  palsied  in  his  limbs,  fell  headlong, 
like  a  smitten  bullock,  to  the  floor.  As  he  lay  there, 
exhausted,  with  staring  eyes  and  drooping  head,  Nicolai 
seized  his  pistol.  He  took  the  weapon  to  a  vault  that 
was  near,  threw  it  down  through  the  gloom,  and  as  it 
was  cocked,  it  exploded  by  striking  a  beam  in  its 
descent.  The  smothered  report  went  through  the  base 
ment  corridors,  and  could  have  been  heard  even  in  the 
rotunda,  dreadful  as  the  last  groan  of  murder,  while 
the  flash  illuminated  the  deep  darkness  of  the  loath 
some  abyss  in  which  it  found  a  suitable  resting  place. 

When  Nicolai  returned,  a  glance  through  a  window 
showed  him  the  President  on  the  steps  of  the  Capitol 
passing  to  his  carriage.  A  sight  of  the  intended  victim 
brought  vividly  before  him  the  naked  hideousness  of 
the  conspiracy,  and  all  the  horrors  from  which  he 
had  so  strangely  delivered  a  nation.  Grateful  to  Heaven 
for  the  escape,  and  excited  by  the  magnitude  of  the 
projected  crime,  he  stooped  over  his  fallen  brother,  who 
gradually  regained  his  consciousness  and  his  strength. 

"  Oh,  Ruric,"  he  exclaimed,  when  the  Nihilist  was 
enabled  to  stand,  "  how  could  you  think  of  a  thing 
so  terrible  !  The  blood,  the  pain,  the  death  of  your 
victim ;  the  agony  of  the  wife,  the  bereavement  of 
the  children,  the  woe  of  a  great  people— could  not  these 
move  you  ?  Is  the  Nihilist  dead  to  every  feeling  of 
humanity  ?  Truly,  he  regard?  neither  God  nor  man." 


A  n:ition  in  tears." 
Pjiffe  383. 


WASHINGTON.  377 

"Who  cared  for  me,"  he  cried,  wildly;  "beggared, 
disgraced,  crushed  by  a  tyrant,  a  slave,  a  criminal, 
toiling  in  mines,  and  starving  in  forests,  a  wanderer, 
with  a  mark  on  my  forehead,  banished  and  execrated  ? 
The  world  is  against  me  and  I  am  against  the  world. 
Your  God  is  against  me  and  I  am  against  your  God. 
Eye  for  eye ;  blood  for  blood ;  life  for  life  !  The  greater 
the  sufferings  in  others,  the  greater  the  revenge  for 
me!" 

"  Son  of  my  mother,  bone  of  my  bone,  flesh  of  my 
flesh,  nourished  at  the  same  breast,  rocked  by  the 
same  hand,  watched  by  the  same  love,"  exclaimed 
Nicolai  in  tears,  "Ruric,  my  brother,  will  thou  be  an 
assassin,  delighting  in  secret  murder,  the  enemy  of 
mankind,  the  desolator  of  homes,  the  destroyer  of 
nations  !  Prison,  gallows,  hell,  surely  these  await 
thee!" 

The   wretch   seemed  touched  for  a  moment. 

"Nicolai,"  he  cried,  with  a  maniacal  emotion,  "I 
cannot  help  it !  Like  the  tiger,  I  love  blood.  It  has 
become  my  nature.  Does  the  beast  mouth  himself  in 
the  gore  of  his  victim  ?  I  tell  you  I,  too,  must  have 
blood.  Everything  looks  red  before  me.  You  have 
your  feelings,  I  have  mine.  Each,  like  this  uncon 
scious  breeze,  is  borne  onward  to  his  destiny." 

"But  worse  even  than  murder,"  replied  Nicolai,  "is 
the  crime  which  is  the  crown  and  consummation  of 
your  evil  plans.  To  steal  a  young  girl,  to  watch  her 
growth  to  womanhood,  to  wait  your  occasion  through 
years  that  you  may  ruin  her  innocence  for  your  lust 


378  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

and  your  revenge — this  seems  to  me  the  perfection  of 
Satanic  wickedness.  Oh,  begin  to  purge  thy  soul,  by 
renouncing  thy  purpose,  and  pledging  to  me  the  sur 
render  of  the  child." 

"Stop!"  Ruric  burst  forth.  "Stop!  no  more!  You 
have  fooled  me  in  this,  but  you  shall  not  fool  me  in 
that.  I  will  have  my  reward,  if  it  costs  your  life  and 
my  own.  We  part  to  meet  no  more.  You  have  again 
shown  yourself  my  enemy." 

"  I  vow  to  my  God  to  defeat  you,"  said  Mcolai, 
with  a  serene  confidence. 

"And  I  swear,  at  whatever  cost,  I  will  accomplish 
my  purpose,"  replied  Ruric,  with  an  expression  of 
fiendish  resolve,  and  then  walked  slowly  down  the  hall. 

When  Nicolai  attempted  to  climb  the  stairs,  on  his 
return  to  the  rotunda,  he  had  more  than  once  to  lean 
^against  the  wall  to  prevent  himself  from  falling.  He 
was  exhausted  by  the  tempest  through  which  he  had 
passed.  Mr.  Petrovich,  observing  the  pallor  on  his  face, 
inquired  : 

"  What  ails  you,  my  friend  ?  Your  cheek  is  color 
less,  and  your  whole  body  trembles." 

"  Since  I  left  you,"  replied  Nicolai,  with  deep  feeling, 
"  I  have  lived  an  age.  A  few  minutes  have  marked 
life  more  ineffaceably  than  ordinary  years." 

"  Explain  to  me ;  explain  immediately  ! "  said  Mr. 
Petrovich  hastily.  "  I  perceive  in  your  conduct  the 
shadow  of  some  painful  mystery." 

"I  have  seen  Ruric  since   I   parted  from    you  here." 
"Ruric,   and   in  this  Capitol!" 


WASHINGTON.  379 

"It  is  too  true!  I  noticed  him  across  the  rotunda 
before  leaving  you,  and  following  him,  I  saw  him 
meet  two  men  behind  a  column.  On  approaching,  I 
heard  their  whispers,  concealed  by  the  base,  and  ascer 
tained  that  they  had  agreed  this  morning,  in  this 
edifice,  to  kill  the  President,  Vice-President,  and 
Speaker  of  the  House,  and  thus  plunge  the  country 
into  anarchy.  Fortunately,  the  latter  two  were  absent, 
and  the  other  men,  evidently  New  York  Nihilists,  had 
to  abandon  their  part  of  the  scheme.  Ruric,  however, 
was  bent  on  blood,  insisting  that  he  would  shoot  the 
President.  When  his  accomplices  withdrew  I  confronted 
him,  and  grasped  him  in  my  arms,  which  seemed 
converted  into  steel.  He  trembled  in  my  embrace, 
relaxed,  and  fell  to  the  floor,  when  I  took  away  his 
pistol  and  flung  it  into  a  vault.  Soon  after,  to  my 
relief,  I  saw  the  President  leave  the  Capitol  and  enter 
his  carriage." 

"This  is  indeed  marvelous,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Petrovich, 
excitedly.  "Such  an  escape  deserves  a  Te  Deum. 
You  have  saved  a  Chief  Magistrate  from  death,  a 
family  from  unutterable  woe,  a  country  from  anarchy, 
your  own  name  from  infamy,  and  Russia  from  a  cloud 
which  would  have  blackened  over  her  through  all 
history." 

"Nihilism  is  a  poison  diffused  through  the  social 
atmosphere  of  the  world.  What  a  disgrace  to  my 
family  !  What  a  stain  on  my  country  !  What  a  blot 
on  my  race!*'  exclaimed  Nicolai,  passionately.  "Men, 
drifted  from  Christianity,  with  no  faith  in  a  God  or  a 


380  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

hereafter;  maddened  to  despair  by  the  inevitable  and 
inexplicable  sufferings  of  humanity,  become  the  prey  of 
their  passions,  and  are  ready  for  any  dark  work  of 
Satan.  What  wonder  if  such  waifs  of  the  universe 
are  the  sport  of  its  tempests  and  its  billows,  and,  more 
than  all,  of  the  malice  of  its  lost  spirits!" 

"  There  you  speak  like  a  priest,"  said  Mr.  Petrovich, 
laughing.  "But  I,  you  know,  speak  like  a  statesman 
and  a  philosopher.  Our  universities  are  responsible  for 
this  modern  madness  for  blood.  If  they  are  seats  of 
learning,  they  are  often  also  the  sources  of  moral  death. 
Folly  is  never  more  pleased  than  when  she  sees  her 
cap  and  bells  on  these  solemn  old  owls  called  professors. 
Hegel  is  the  father  of  Nihilism.  Its  fountain  is  the 
German  University  Pantheism.  Carlyle,  snarling  out 
from  his  gloom  that  '  might  is  right,'  at  once  justified 
the  tyrant  and  his  assassin ;  and  now,  in  one  of  the 
oldest  universities  in  this  republic,  on  a  commencement 
occasion,  before  its  assembled  youth  and  famous 
scholars  and  divines,  hear  these  words  of  a  most 
distinguished  orator,  and  hereafter  blame  the  murderer 
less  than  his  defender  and  instigator." 

Having  uttered  these  thoughts  with  a  most  burning 
earnestness,  Mr.  Petrovich  unfolded  the  New  York 
morning  paper,  and  read  as  follows  : 

"Nihilism  is  the  righteous  and  honorably  resistance 
of  a  people  crushed  under  an  iron  rule.  Nihilism  is 
evidence  of  life.  When  '  order  reigns  in  Warsaw '  it 
is  spiritual  death.  Nihilism  is  the  last  weapon  of 
"victims  choked  and  manacled  beyond  all  other  resist- 


WASHINGTON.  381 

ance.  It  is  crushed  humanity's  only  means  of  making 
the  oppressor  tremble.  God  means  that  unjust  power 
shall  be  insecure,  and  every  move  of  the  giant  pros 
trate  in  chains,  whether  it  be  to  lift  a  single  dagger, 
or  stir  a  city's  revolt,  is  a  lesson  in  justice.  One 
might  well  tremble  for  the  future  of  the  race  if  such 
a  despotism  did  exist  without  provoking  the  bloodiest 
resistance.  I  honor  Nihilism.  Of  all  the  cants  that 
are  canted  in  this  canting  world,  the  cant  of  Ameri 
cans  bewailing  Russian  Nihilism  is  the  most  disgusting." 

Nothing  can  exceed  the  detestation,  the  horror,  the 
amazement,  depicted  on  Nicolai's  face  as  he  exclaimed : 

"  Mr.  Petrovich,  you  have  astounded  me.  I  confess 
that  I  have  had  strong  tendencies  to  republicanism, 
and  that  I  have  admired  the  people  of  this  country, 
believing  that  here,  at  least,  Nihilism  could  only  flourish 
amid  professed  robbers  and  murderers,  who  had  no 
interest  in  society  but  its  plunder.  The  experiences  of 
this  morning  have  excited  my  alarm,  and  I  can  now 
have  some  sympathy  with  the  repressive  measures  of 
our  Emperor." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  this,"  replied  Mr.  Petrovich.  with 
evident  pleasure ;  "  and  more  especially  as  I  have 
resolved  to  take  you  home  with  me.  Your  democratic 
preferences  in  Russia  would  have  made  you  trouble 
and  impaired  your  influence." 

The  gentlemen  now  ascended  the  long  and  laborious 
stairway,  and  soon  stood  on  the  balcony  which  circles 
the  dome.  Below  them  the  city,  with  its  wide 
avenues  and  superb  public  buildings,  the  broad  Potomac 


382  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

flashing  in  the  sun,  the  distant  hills  rising  gradually 
into  the  blue  sky,  together  forming  a  magnificent 
panorama,  excited  bursts  of  enthusiasm. 

Pointing  upwards,  Mr.  Petrovich  cried,  "See  yon 
image  of  liberty,  exalted  over  the  dome  of  the  Capitol ! 
It  will  not  propitiate  Nihilism.  Our  Russian  fanatics 
despise  what  they  style  American  conservatism. 
Wretches  will  urge  themselves  forward  to  a  desperation 
which  will  imperil  Presidents  as  well  as  Emperors.  About 
the  Executive  mansion  may  yet  be  seen  the  flash  of 
the  bayonet  and  the  plume  of  the  officer,  as  hired 
guards  watching  to  defend  the  life  of  the  Chief  of 
the  Republic.  Should  that  day  arrive,  a  crown  may 
become  a  necessity.  To  escape  the  rule  of  the  mob  and 
the  perils  of  frequent  elections,  hereditary  monarchy 
may  be  a  refuge  of  this  boastful  Democracy,  and 
England  the  model  of  America." 

"Never,  in  my  opinion,"  firmly  rejoined  Nicolai. 
"  Monarchy  in  this  country  is  an  impossibility.  Nay,  the 
whole  tendency  of  the  world,  in  our  age,  seems 
to  be  in  favor  of  republican  institutions.  I  do  not 
speak  of  what  I  approve,  but  of  what  is  obvious  and 
inevitable.  " 

This  remark  terminated  the  conversation.  The 
gentlemen,  descending  the  stairs,  left  the  Capitol, 
walked  silently  down  the  Avenue,  entered  their  hotel, 
and  retired  to  their  apartments. 

That  night  on  his  bed,  in  the  darkness,  Nicolai  had 
a  fearful  vision.  His  mind  seemed  flaming  with  light. 
In  the  mystic  illumination,  things  stood  before  him  as 


WASHINGTON.  383 

living  forms.  Fancies  glowed  into  realities.  He  imag 
ined  he  heard  the  report  of  Ruric's  pistol.  In  a  vision, 
he  saw  the  President  fall,  pierced  by  a  bullet.  Vividly 
before  him,  were  the  prostrate  form,  the  pallid  face, 
the  ghastly  wound.  Men  appearing,  rushing  to  arrest 
the  murderer.  He  saw  an  agonized  wife,  weeping 
children,  a  nation  in  tears,  a  world  tilled  with  alarm, 
sorrow  and  amazement.  Over  the  land  and  on  the 
sea,  were  sobs  and  tears  and  anguish,  save  where  the 
Nihilists  celebrated  their  hellish  triumphs  over  success 
ful  assassinations.  Now  appeared  the  chamber  of 
death,  the  solemn  funeral  pageant,  the  republic  in 
mourning,  the  black  drapery  of  woe  beneath  lowered 
flags  as  a  badge  of  universal  sorrow.  Beyond,  a  cell, 
a  trial,  a  conviction,  a  sentence,  an  execution — his 
brother  swung  from  the  gallows,  amid  the  execrations 
of  nations.  As  the  weird  picture  passed  before  him, 
his  heart  swelled  with  grateful  joy  that,  by  the  inter 
position  of  his  own  hand,  the  vision  was  not  a  reality, 
but  only  a  sketch  of  his  excited  imagination. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

ON    THE    OCEAN. 

HEIST  Ruric  had  first  reached  New 
York,  although  infuriated  by  the 
memory  of  his  wrongs,  he  was 
not  yet  wholly  degraded.  While 
his  money  lasted  he  had  lived 
decently,  and  treated  kindly  the 
child  borne  away  in  revenge  to  pierce  the 
heart  of  her  father — his  enemy.  The  sweet 
beauty  of  little  Lillie  touched  the  Nihilist, 
and  had  not  poverty  driven  him  to  despera 
tion,  might  have  preserved  his  heart  fresh 
and  tender.  But  soon  lank  hunger,  staring, 
pinched  him  and  the  child,  and  he  sent  out  the  pretty 
creature,  with  her  blue  eye  and  sad  smile,  to  beg  on 
the  streets.  This  was  a  step  toward  her  degradation 
and  his  own.  Near  him  was  an  old  Italian  iniquity, 
who  trafficked  in  human  flesh,  buying  and  selling 
boys  and  girls,  waifs  of  misery  drifted  to  our  shores 
by  currents  of  sorrow  from  all  lands,  to  be  purchased 
and  disciplined  by  savage  masters  as  itinerant  beggars, 
jugglers  and  musicians.  Such  fate  for  children  is  the 
darkest  mystery  of  our  inscrutable  human  existence. 
Encouraged  by  the  success  of  Lillie,  from  the  stock 


She  stands  out  under  full  canvas  down  the  bay  to  the  ocean." 
Page  389. 


ON    THE    OCEAN.  387 

of  the  Italian,  Ruric  had  added  Tippoo,  and,  soon  after, 
Tojo  to  his  household — the  latter,  being  much  older,  as 
a  species  of  assistant.  The  education  of  these  children 
was  not  wholly  neglected.  Ruric,  on  Sundays, 
instructed  them  for  his  amusement  and  to  perfect 
himself  in  English,  and  also  because  he  argued  that 
their  quickened  intelligence  would  increase  his  gains. 
Partly  from  policy,  and  partly  from  a  savagery  ever 
growing  fiercer  with  his  social  and  moral  debasement,  he 
treated  the  children  with  habitual  cruelty,  often  inflict 
ing  terrible  blows,  permitting  them  no  food  during  the 
day's  long  toil,  and  keeping  them  in  servile  terror 
by  a  deliberate  system  of  espionage  and  subjugation. 
Associating  with  the  degraded,  amid  the  slums  of  a 
vast  city,  with  innumerable  temptations  to  deceit,  the 
two  younger  children  strangely  preserved  their  purity,  and 
were,  under  the  circumstances,  wonderfully  kind,  honest 
and  truthful.  This,  however,  was  partly  due  to  the 
influence  of  an  old  missionary,  Mr.  Archer,  who,  during 
years,  watched  and  instructed  them,  as  he  happened  to 
meet  them  on  the  streets,  with  a  most  paternal  Christian 
interest  and  fidelity.  But  drudging  wearily  through 
the  week,  confined  on  Sundays,  half-fed,  scolded, 
beaten,  youthful  joyousness  fled  from  the  little  slaves, 
existence  became  a  dull  burden,  and  their  minds 
benumbed  and  insensible  to  almost  everything  in  nature. 
Lillie  had  an  exquisite  voice  as  well  as  beauty,  and 
Tippoo,  besides  an  engaging  exterior,  possessed  a  genius 
for  jugglery,  inherited  from  his  Indian  ancestors.  Tojo 
was  a  sharp  Japanese  rascal  who  loved  to  live  by  his 


388  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

wits,  and  play  "kid"  to  thieves  and  robbers,  whose 
society  he  preferred. 

Confiding  in  the  thoroughness  of  the  subjection  of 
Lillie  and  Tippoo,  and  the  keen  superintendence  of  Tojo, 
Ruric,  partly  to  relieve  himself  of  their  presence,  and 
also  as  a  means  of  eluding  the  expected  pursuit,  had 
decided  to  send  the  children,  with  harp,  guitar  and  their 
other  equipments,  to  distant  portions  of  the  country. 
Passage  was  secured  in  the  brigantine  Mermaid,  to 
carry  them  around  by  the  ocean  and  up  the  Chesa 
peake  to  Annapolis,  the  vessel  intending  to  return  with 
a  cargo  of  Severn  sand  from  near  Round  Bay,  a  few 
miles  above  the  quaint  capital  of  Maryland,  where 
Tojo  was  to  meet  them  by  rail,  and  direct  their  future 
movements  according  to  circumstances. 

On  an  evening  in  early  June,  see  them,  with  their 
instruments,  and  their  rough  box,  and  their  library — 
a  small  Bible  and  a  book  of  "Songs  of  all  Nations," 
purchased  by  their  meagre  savings  at  an  antiquated 
book-stand.  Tojo  has  taken  leave  with  dreadful  threats 
and  curses  should  they  retain  any  money  beyond  their 
necessary  wants,  or  use  their  liberty  to  escape.  He 
yet  stands  on  the  wharf,  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets 
in  American  style,  occasionally  shaking  a  fist  and 
muttering  a  farewell  oath. 

The  hawser  is  loosed.  A  dwarf  of  a  tug  begins  .to 
puff,  pant  and  worry  the  water,  and  then  march  down 
East  River,  amid  the  shipping,  drawing  the  vessel  with 
the  pride  of  a  very  small  boy  doing  a  very  big  thing, 
or  of  a  Bantum  rooster  strutting  before  a  great  Shanghai 


ON    THE    OCEAN.  389 

hen.  At  first  the  children  are  stupefied.  They  can 
not  believe  it.  Not  once,  within  memory,  have  they 
been  without  the  limits  of  the  crowded  city.  From 
infancy,  they  have  been  every  day  under  the  eye  and 
lash  of  Ruric.  Can  he  permit  this  ?  Why  has  he 
allowed  it  ?  Are  they  indeed  free  ?  Rather,  are  they 
themselves  ?  Is  it  a  dream  ?  No  !  it  is  all  real. 
There  is  Tojo  just  visible  in  the  distance,  there  is 
the  advancing  tug,  there  is  the  receding  city,  there 
they  are  themselves — Lillie  and  Tippoo,  with  harp, 
box  and  guitar,  and  there  can  be  no  longer  a  mistake. 
See  the  Mermaid  parts  from  her  escort  ;  her  sails  are 
flung  to  the  evening  breeze  !  She  stands  out  under 
full  canvas  down  the  bay  to  the  ocean  !  Lillie  sits 
by  her  harp,  and  Tippoo  by  his  guitar  in  bewildered 
silence,  which  the  latter  interrupts  with  an  amazement 
no  longer  controllable,  bursting  out  with  the  ques 
tion  : 

"  Thunder,  Lil  !  do  you  mind  the  bird  last  week 
that  flew'd  out  of  a  window,  where  we  were  singin' 
and  play  in'  near  the  park?" 

"Yes,  Tip,  I  do.  A  boy  and  a  man  in  livery 
followed  it.  It  behaved  queer  at  first  as  if  it  didn't 
know  what  was  the  matter,  and  would  hop  away,  and 
then  they'd  chase  it,  till  at  last  it  know'd  it  was  free, 
and  flew'd  up  on  a  tree,  and  began  to  sing  a  jolly 
song." 

"Well,  Lil,  I  tell  you;  you  and  me's  like  that  bird 
when  it  jist  got  out  of  its  cage.  I  feel  as  if  I  didn't 
know  about  it  no  way.  But  my  wings  will  be  movin' 


390  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

easy  afore  long,  and  my  throat  tuned  up  pretty  well 
too." 

"But,"  she  replied,  in  the  utmost  terror,  "  don't  try  to 
fly  away.  Ruric  has  his  string  to  us  after  all,  and  I 
tell  you  he  can  pull  us  back,  and  take  our  heads  and 
arms  off,  too,  if  he  chooses." 

"You  bet  I  know  that,"  said  Tip,  with  a  boyish 
swagger,  thrusting  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  as  if  a 
native  American,  and  looking  wise.  "  Old  thunder  and 
lightnin'  won't  forget  his  babies.  Telegraph  wires  and 
railway  tracks  are  better  nor  strings  to  keep  us  in  his 
hand,  and  I  don't  love  his  leather  lash  enough  to  go 
back  to  it,  and  give  it  another  coat  of  red  to  improve 
its  looks.  But  let  Ruric  go  to  Jersey  and  live  on 
mosquitoes !  Our  captain  here's  another  sort.  Look 
at  his  mouth  and  eye !  He's  jolly  and  his  wife's 
jollier  yet,  and  these  sailors  are  jolly,  and  I'll  bet  we'll 
have  a  jolly  time  on  a  jolly  ship." 

"All  right,  Tip,"  said  Lillie,  softly.  "I'll  do  all  I 
can  to  help  the  fun  if  you'll  only  promise  not  to  run 
away.  Ruric  would  kill  us.  It  makes  me  shake  when 
I  think  of  him.  He  has  struck  me,  and  made  my 
blood  run  a  thousand  times.  I  fear  his  horrid  face 
and  voice  more  than  his  lash,  and  his  eye  seems 
lookin'  through  me  all  the  time." 

"Well,  Lil,"  replied  Tip,  with  a  gay  smile  and 
whistle,  "  that's  all  over  now.  Hurrah  for  ourselves  ! 
No  telegraphs  over  these  big  waves,  nor  railroads 
either !  We  are  safe  till  we  meet  Toj  at  Annapolis, 
and  now  for  one  good  time.  This  old  Captain  and  his 


ON    THE    OCEAN.  391 

big  wife  will  give  us  a  chance,  if  you'll  let  me  manage. 
So  begin  !  Everything  in  a  first  appearance.  Programme 
—Mock-Bird,  from  'Songs  of  All  Nations,'  accompanied 
by  Lil  on  the  harp  and  Tip  on  the  guitar.  That  book's 
a  good  investment — them  six  cents  '11  make  us  friends 
wherever  we  go,  land  or  sea.  So  strike  up  while  the 
breeze's  good ! " 

The  children  tuned  softly  their  instruments  and  then 
sang  together  the  following  song  from  their  companion 
able  volume : 

My  little   Mock-Bird,   why   so  gay, 
Merrily  singing   on   yon  spray? 
I  love  to  hear  thy   tuneful  throat, 
Wild  warble  joy  in   each  clear  note. 

Oh,   gay   am   I,   because    my    wing 
No   more   on   bars   I   madly   fling; 
See,  I  can   mount  the  morning    air, 
And  thrill   out  freedom's  music   there. 

But,    little   Mock-Bird,    who   will   give 
The   grains    and    drops   that  make   thee  live  ? 
The   hawk,    I   fear,    from   yon   clear   sky, 
His  talon   in   thy   blood   will   dye. 

I   sip   the   nectar   of  the   dew; 

I   pick   the   seed   where   first  it  grew. 

And   Heaven,    that  makes  the   world  my  home, 

Forgets   me   not   where'er   I   roam. 

The  breeze  was  brisk  but  light,  the  sails  were  full, 
and  all  on  board  could  listen  in  silent  admiration. 
Lillie  was  born  with  the  genius  of  song,  and  each  tone 


392  KNIGHTS    OF   LABOR. 

of  her  musical  voice  was  mellowed  by  suffering. 
Notwithstanding  her  vocation,  her  beauty  always  excited 
attention,  and  there  lingered  about  her  a  charm  of 
mystery.  A  tear  was  on  Captain  Jack's  rough  cheek. 
Even  Commodore  Beck,  as  the  sailors  called  his  wife, 
felt  her  thick  lips  quiver,  and  old  black  Tom  Tar, 
Ned  Soft,  Dan  Heave  and  Bill  Jump,  and  all  the  rest 
of  the  crew,  while  the  song  lasted,  never  moved  a  quid 
in  their  mouths.  Mr.  Rylance,  the  only  passenger,  a 
young  graduate  of  Yale,  taking  a  sea-voyage  for  his 
health,  was  amused  and  astonished.  A  magic  sympathy 
warmed  all  hearts  toward  the  little  wanderers. 

The  sun  had  sunk  behind  the  Orange  Mountains, 
but  the  gold  and  purple  of  the  clouds  lingered,  and  left 
their  mingling  glories  on  the  islands,  and  kindled  with 
their  light  the  waters  of  the  bay,  while  before  them 
the  moon  rose  out  of  the  sea  in  the  beauty  of  her 
summer  brightness,  and  the  evening  star  glittered  with 
a  yet  more  beaming  splendor.  Such  a  spectacle  had 
never  before  been  observed  by  the  young  travelers. 
Indeed  their  slavery  since  childhood  had  sealed  by 
suffering  the  vision  of  nature  from  those  two  wronged 
souls.  A  new  world  was  suddenly  born  in  their  breasts, 
tinged  with  those  hues  of  religion  inseparable  from 
human  nature.  They  were  profoundly  impressed,  and 
indeed  awed  into  silence. 

"  Thunder!"  at  last  Tip  burst  out.  "  Lil,  isn't  this 
Paradise  ?  It  must  be,  since  it  don't  look  like  any 
thing  I  ever  saw  before." 

"  It  is  !  it  is  ! "   exclaimed    the    girl,    in   a  whisper  of 


ON    THE    OCEAN.  393 

admiration.  "This  is  what  our  old  street  missionary 
told  us  about.  There's  an  angel !  Look,  Tip  !  I  see 
him  on  that  cloud  ! " 

"And  I  see  another,"  said  Tip,  "at  the  end  of  the 
cloud.  He  has  a  harp,  by  thunder  ! " 

"I  see  some  dancing,"  cried  Lil.  "There  they  are, 
one,  two,  three  !  " 

"And  some  on  the  top  are  flying  out,"  Tip  exclaimed, 
pointing  with  his  finger,  while  his  eye  kindled  and 
his  face  beamed. 

Thus  the  imaginations  of  the  children  peopled  the 
clouds  with  shapes  of  beauty  so  different  from  the 
loathsome  and  distorted  forms  of  want  and  sickness 
they  had  daily  seen  through  so  many  years  of  their 
cramped  and  wretched  lives.  It  was  marvelous  how 
the  teaching  of  Ruric  and  Tojo,  the  casual  instructions 
of  old  Mr.  Archer,  the  study  of  their  pocket  Bible, 
and  book  of  songs,  had  given  them  the  use  of  words, 
purified  their  taste,  and  preserved  them  from  the  slang 
of  slums.  Some  superior  blood,  and  ages  of  ancestral 
refinement  have  surely  helped  to  produce  such  a  result. 

Commodore  Beck  now  came  forward  and  expressed 
in  words  and  deeds  the  kind  feelings  of  her  large, 
womanly  heart. 

"Wall!  I  guess  you  be  ready  for  your  evenin' 
grub.  I  hearn  your  talkin'  and  'twas  queer  for  such  as 
you  be.  But  you  can't  live  on  clouds  and  angels  at 
sea,  nor  land  either  for  matter  of  that.  I've  brought 
your  grub  on  deck,  and  I  s'pose  your  used  to  takin' 
where  you  can  get  it." 


394  KNIGHTS    OF   LABOR. 

"Thanks,"  said  Tip,  politely;  "thanks!  We  are  very 
hungry,  and  it  will  be  jolly  to  eat  it  here." 

"Thanks,"  added  Lillie,  "many  thanks!  "We  are 
so  glad  to  get  it.  Many  times  we  eat  on  a  step,  or  a 
curb-stone,  or  wherever  the  people  are  kind  to  us,  and 
sometimes  walking  along  the  street." 

The  Commodore  then  gave  the  children  some  hard 
crackers,  and  two  large  slices  of  cold  ham,  which, 
followed  by  a  cup  of  water  from  the  barrel,  constituted 
a  comfortable  supper,  after  which  they  rested  their 
heads  on  their  instruments,  and  composed  themselves 
for  the  slumbers  of  the  night.  Stars  watched  over 
them,  glittering  in  the  sky  and  mirrored  in  the  sea, 
while  the  moon  smiled  down  from  the  heavens  in  her 
queenly  majesty. 

Hark !  the  scraping  of  a  fiddle  !  the  hum  of  merry 
voices  !  the  beating  of  heavy  feet  on  the  deck  !  Captain 
Jack  and  his  ponderous  spouse  are  whirling  and  sweat 
ing  in  the  dance,  while  Tom  Tar  draws  his  black 
hand  vigorously  over  the  strings  of  his  violin,  and  all 
the  other  sailors  unite  in  the  strange  frolic,  and  in  a 
way  which  would  shatter  the  discipline  of  any  other 
ship.  But  Captain  Jack  has  his  own  theories.  We  will 
see  what  they  are  hereafter,  and  how  they  succeed. 
No  vessel  ever  floated  on  a  wave  was  managed  like 
our  Mermaid. 

After  the  sound  sleep  produced  by  health  and  weari 
ness,  Lillie  first  awoke.  Around  her  was  the  illimit 
able  circle  of  the  sea,  touched  by  the  circle  of  the 
sky  swelling  sublimely  into  its  vast  ethereal  dome.  The 


ON    THE    OCEAN.  395 

luminaries  of  heaven  have  now  changed  their  places. 
The  sun  is  lifting  his  face  above  the  ocean  in  the 
east,  and  the  moon  opposite  is  just  visible  over  the 
western  waves  ;  no  cloud  stains  the  blue  sky,  except 
one  dark,  rising  mass,  circled  over  by  a  magnificent 
bow  whose  painted  glories  dye  the  deep  on  which  they 
stand  like  celestial  pillars.  Lillie  was  entranced.  She 
was  speechless.  At  last,  her  amazement  was  expressed 
in  ejaculations. 

"What  is  it?"  she  whispered  to  herself.  "What 
can  it  be  ?  I  never  saw  or  heard  of  it  before.  Who 
made  it  ?  Tip,  Tip,  get  up  !  See  there  ! " 

She  shook  the  boy  energetically,  who  rolled  his  eyes 
and  muttered  his  displeasure. 

"What  do  you  knock  a  fellow  up  in  this  way  for?" 
he  growled.  "  I  was  having  a  jolly  dream  and  you 
spoiled  it.  Just  let  a  fellow  be/' 

"But,  look  round,  Tip,"  replied  the  girl,  with  a 
species  of  rapture,  while  her  eye  and  face  seemed 
beaming  with  the  new  light  in  her  soul.  "  Look,  and 
tell  me  quick  what  it  is  !  I  must  know." 

"  Thunder ! "  said  the  boy,  amazed  as  he  gazed. 
"I  never  saw  it  before,  any  more  than  you.  It's  pretty 
as  a  picture.  How  round  and  bright  it  is,  and  higher 
nor  Trinity  spire,  and  wider  nor  North  River." 

"Oh,  Tip,  this  must  be  Paradise.  See  the  ocean! 
Beautiful  colors  are  flying  over  everywhere !  I  never 
felt  so  before.  Oh,  I  wish  I  knew  what  that  glorious 
thing  is." 

Mr.    Rylance   had  been   taking  his  morning    constitu- 


396  KNIGHTS    OF   LABOR. 

tional  on  the  deck,  and  had  overheard  this  strange 
conversation.  Approaching  the  children,  he  said  to 
them : 

"I  can  tell  you  what  you  wish  to  know." 

"Thanks,   thanks,  sir,"   they  eagerly  replied  together. 

"But  have  you  never  really  seen  that  before?" 
he  inquired.  "  It  seems  incredible." 

"  We  have  not,  sir,"  replied  Tip.  "  We  would  not 
sham  with  you  for  the  world." 

"  I  think  something  has  taken  place  in  me,"  said 
Lillie,  "I  feel  so  changed.  Everything  looks  so 
beautiful." 

Mr.  Rylance,  more  interested  than  ever,  determined 
to  employ  every  opportunity  to  instruct  these  apt,  but 
neglected  children. 

"That  is  the  rainbow,"  said  he,  kindly,  "and  is 
formed  on  that  cloud  by  the  sun  shining  on  the  drops 
of  rain." 

"Oh,  sir,"  replied  Lillie,  clapping  her  hands,  "that 
explains  my  little  song."  Then  taking  out  her  treasured 
volume  from  her  pocket,  she  added,  "I  thought  a  bow 
was  what  I  had  seen  on  Broadway  in  the  archery 
shops,  and  I  could  not  tell  how  it  could  be  on  a  cloud 
and  over  a  billow." 

"  And,  sir,"  said  Tip,  laughing,  "  a  bow's  one  of 
them  dandy  fellows  on  Broadway,  and  I'd  like  to  see 
him  up  there  where  the  song  says.  He  wouldn't  stay 
long,  I'm  sure." 

"Now,  sir,"  continued  Lillie,  with  increasing  anima 
tion,  "I  understand,  by  looking  at  the  ocean,  every- 


ON    THE    OCEAN.  397 

thing  in  the  song,  and  it  all  seems  plain  and 
beautiful." 

"Let  me  see  your  book,"  said  Mr.  Rylance,  more 
and  more  pleased  with  the  children.  He  took  the 
volume  from  Lillie's  hand,  and,  glancing  his  eye  over 
the  song,  added:  "Yes,  you  are  right.  Since  you 
left  New  York,  you  have  seen  everything  mentioned 
here,  and  can  now  understand  it  better  than  ever. 
But  now,  let  me  hear  the  song.  You  have  excited 
my  curiosity,  and  I  want  it  in  your  best  style," 

The  children  complied  with  alacrity.  Having  tuned 
their  instruments,  Lillie  sang  with  a  low,  sweet,  rich 
plaintive  voice,  that  touched  all  hearts.  The  roughest 
sailors  listened  with  visible  pleasure,  showing  that  bard 
and  uncultured  natures  will  respond  to  the  most 
refined  sentiments  when  expressed  in  simple  musical 
words. 

My   Mary,    cold   and   bright  yon    moon 

Shines   o'er  the   fitful  sea, 
And  glitters   on   this  harp  I   tune, 

To   sing  alone   of  thee. 

And   as   yon   wave,    whose   breaking  crest 

Flies   sparkling   o'er   the    deep; 
Mary,    thus  fickle   in   thy   breast 

The   love   o'er  which  I  weep. 

Delusive    on   yon    cloud   a   bow 

Wild   billows   hangs   above; 
But   when    its   glories   brightest   glow, 

Pales,   Mary,    like   thy    love. 


398  KNIGHTS    OF  LABOR. 

Nor  moon   whose   beam  is  on  the  sea, 

Nor   painted  bow,    nor   wave, 
So  fair   and   false   as   thou  to  me, 

Whose   smile   mocks   when   I   rave. 

After  the  song,  Tippoo  said  to  Mr.  Rylance,  who 
stood  near  listening. 

"  Sir,  it  is  so  strange  to  be  in  the  middle  of  a  circle 
on  the  ocean." 

"  And  this  big  dome  over  us  is  stranger  yet,"  added 
Lillie,  pointing  and  looking  upward.  "Everything  is 
so  queer  at  sea." 

"And  what  is  the  sun,  Mr.  Rylance,  and  the  moon, 
and  the  stars?"  inquired  Tippoo.  "I  never  thought 
of  them  much  on  land.  But  here  they  look  different, 
and  I  want  to  know." 

Mr.   Rylance,   after  a  little   reflection,  answered : 

"Wait  a  moment,  and  I  will  explain  so  that  you 
will  never  forget  it." 

He  disappeared  below,  and  soon  emerged  with  his 
hands  and  arms  full  of  lemons  and  oranges  of  various 
sizes.  With  these  and  the  aid  of  a  few  sticks  he 
extemporized  a  planetarium,  and  made  visible  the  revo 
lutions  of  the  earth  and  the  planets  round  the  sun, 
of  the  moons  about  the  planets,  and  the  planets  on 
their  axes ;  and  showed  how  eclipses  were  produced, 
and  day  and  night,  and  the  seasons.  He  also  explained 
the  reasons  of  the  circle  of  the  horizon,  and  the 
rotundity  of  the  heavens.  Before  the  voyage  ended, 
these  children  could  answer  questions  in  such  a  way 
as  to  show  they  comprehended  the  subject  perfectly. 


ON    THE    OCEAN.  399 

After  the  morning  lesson  had  been  completed  Tippoo 
said  : 

"Now,  sir,  let  me  show  my  teacher  something  he 
never  saw." 

He  took  a  pack  of  cards,  and  amazed  Mr.  Rylance 
and  the  sailors  by  his  marvelous  dexterity  in  countless 
tricks. 

When  he  had  concluded  his  exhibition,  Tip  said, 
with  a  laugh  : 

"  Lillie's  song  was  rather  grave ;  let  me  sing  you  a 
funny  one." 

Without  his  instrument,  he  then  sang,  and  with  such 
gesture  and  expression  as  to  convulse  his  audience, 
another  selection  from  his  unfailing  book. 

The    owl.    the    owl,    is   the   bird   for   me: 
I   love  his   note  from  the   midnight  tree, 
Where    he   winks, 
And   he   blinks, 
And   he   blinks, 
And   he   winks, 
And  looks   so   wise 
From   his   two   big  eyes. 

The   owl,    the   owl,    he  loves   not  the  sun; 
But,    prudent,    waits   till  the  heat  is  done, 
When   he  winks, 
And  he  blinks, 
And  he  blinks, 
And   he   winks, 
And   he   looks   so   wise 
From  his   two   big  eyes. 


400  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

The   owl,    the    owl,    when   the   morning    Dreaks, 
Ah!       Wise   from  the   light   his   way   he    takes. 
As   he  winks, 
And   he    blinks. 
And  he   blinks, 
And   he  winks, 
And  he  looks   so   wise 
From  his   two  big  eyes. 

The  applause  was  prodigious.  Clapping,  stamping, 
laughter,  rewarded  the  performer's  musical  and  dramatic 
genius. 

"Now,  Lillie,"  said  Mr.  Rylance,  "we  have  had  the 
owl.  I  see  in  your  book  a  song  to  the  lark,  quite  a 
different  bird,  and  I  have  a  notion  that  the  lark  will 
beat  the  owl  any  day." 

"  A  song,  a  song  ! "  echoed  from  every  direction. 

Lillie  then  sat  down  to  her  harp,  and  complied  with 
the  request  of  her  audience  in  the  following  words, 
which  she  sang  with  a  most  exquisite  pathos  and 
expression : 

See,   the   lark   has  left  his    nest! 
'Twas   a   sunbeam   broke   his   rest, 
Touch'd  him   with   immortal   light, 
Wing'd   him   from   our    human   sight! 
He   has   spurn'd   these   mists   of   earth, 
Claiming   his   celestial   birth. 
Lo,    he   fades   now   from   our   view, 
Mingling   with   his   heav'n's   own   blue! 
But,  unseen,    we   hear  him  sing 
Like  some   bright  cherubic   thing. 


ON    THE    OCEAN.  401 

Yes!       The   higher  he   will  soar, 
Louder   will  his  music  pour, 
Since  alone   his  native    light 
Tunes  his  soul  of  flame   aright. 
Hark!       His   last  best  note    he  tries 
Hid   sublimest   in   his   skies, 
Proving,    as   he   drops   below, 
Heav'n   on   earth  would  lose  its  glow 

The  storm  of  approval  was  more  enthusiastic  than 
«ver,  and  kindled  into  encouragement  Lillie,  who,  over 
mastered  by  the  pride  of  her  vocation,  suddenly  left 
her  harp,  ran  up  the  ropes  with  a  grace  and  agility 
which  astonished  the  spectators,  climbed  the  mainmast, 
and  on  one  foot  stood  balanced  on  the  very  top,  sway 
ing  with  the  motion  of  the  ship.  Even  Captain  Jack 
gazed  up  at  her  aghast.  The  sailors  were  speechless. 

There  she  stood  between  sea  and  sky,  high  in  the 
air,  outlined  in  the  blue  of  heaven,  with  a  grace  and 
beauty  which  betokened  some  creature  of  a  celestial 
origin. 

While  Lillie  was  descending,  Captain  Jack,  rolling 
his  quid  with  an  expression  of  marine  wisdom,  said  to 
Mr.  Rylance  : 

"  Rum  children,  them  !  They'd  beat  us  Yankees  out 
of  clocks  and  nutmegs,  and  make  our  boys  and  gals 
down  in  the  feathers  like  chickens  in  a  December 
rain." 

"  They  are,  indeed,  remarkable,"  answered  Mr. 
Rylance.  "They  learn  with  wonderful  ease  and 
rapidity.  I  don't  think  we  have  seen  all  that  is  in 


402  KNIGHTS    OF   LABOR. 

them    yet.       Before     our     voyage    ends    we    will    know 


more." 


"New  Yorkers  is  bright,"  said  Captain  Jack.  "They 
beats  the  world.  A  New  Yorker  '11  set  his  sails,  and 
run  round  another  man  before  he's  unclewed.  Breakers 
or  no  breakers,  and  barometer  showin'  a  hurricane, 
he'll  have  every  rag  out,  and  take  his  chances." 

"But  these  children  are  not  natives,"  answered 
Rylance.  "  The  girl  is  from  a  northern  and  the  boy 
from  a  southern  climate.  They  have  had  some  educa 
tion,  and  their  life  on  the  streets  has  wonderfully 
sharpened  their  wits.  There  is  a  mystery  in  them  I 
•  cannot  yet  explain." 

"Furreners  in  New  York,"  said  the  Captain,  with  a 
knowing  eye  and  quid,  "become  sharp  as  native-born. 
All  sharper  nor  honest.  Fact  is,  people  from  all 
nations  rubbin'  agin  one  another  make  blades  bright 
and  edges  keen." 

Here  a  look  of  anxiety  began  to  gather  over  Captain 
Jack's  face,  and  pointing  to  the  south-west  he  said: 

"Yon  cloud's  a  weather-breeder.  See!  that 
barometer's  goin'  down  like  a  sailor's  grog ! " 

"It  looks  like  a  squall,"  answered  Mr.  Rylance. 
"I  felt  a  little  afraid  last  night." 

"Yes,  once,"  said  the  Captain,  "we  had  a  thumpin' 
sea,  calm  as  it  is  now.  I  'spose  your  heart  went  like 
a  loose  barrel  in  a  ship's  hold." 

"No,  110  Captain,"  replied  Mr.  Rylance,  smiling, 
"I  was  born  too  near  the  sea  for  that.  It  was  your 
dancing  disturbed  me.  I  was  afraid  you  might  relax 


ON    THE    OCEAN.  403 

discipline      by      indulging     with     your     men     in     such 
sports." 

"  Oh,  that's  all ! "  replied  the  good-natured  Captain. 
"Never  fear!  When  this  blow's  over  I'll  explain  my 
theories  on  that  subject,  but  just  now  the  Mermaid 
needs  me." 

He  now  took  his  trumpet,  stationed  Tom  Tar  at  the 
wheel,  and  ordered  all  hands  aloft  to  take  in  sail. 
Soon  the  vessel  with  her  almost  naked  masts  and  arms 
was  ready  for  the  tempest.  Nor  was  she  one  moment 
too  soon. 

The  cloud,  mass  on  mass,  rolled  up  its  blackness  to 
the  zenith.  In  the  far  distance  growled  the  deep 
thunder,  and  the  sheet  lightnings  flashed  vividly  around 
the  horizon.  There  was  a  boding  stillness  in  the  air, 
more  ominous  because  the  ocean  began  to  be  agitated 
although  not  a  breath  was  stirring.  Hark  !  a  shriek 
like  a  demon's  yell  !  A  peal  shakes  the  heavens. 
The  skies  are  on  fire  with  blinding  flashes.  Now  the 
loosed  tempest  rages  with  a  demon's  fury,  and  the 
mountain  billows  toss  the  ship  as  if  sporting  with  her 
puny  distress.  Amid  this  battle  of  the  elements, 
Tippoo  and  Lillie  stand  together,  gazing  with  estatic  joy 
as  sea,  sky  and  air  lash  themselves  into  madness.  The 
little  wanderers  seem  born  for  the  billow  and  the 
tempest. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

BELLE    STANDFAST. 

IDMAN  had  predicted  that  in  three 
months  Edward  Stewart  would  be 
out  of  his  place.  He  was  a  shrewd 
man  and  expected  to  see  that  his 
prophecies  would  be  fulfilled,  but 
in  this  instance  he  proved  to  be 
mistaken.  Only  a  mean  and  evil 
nature,  helped  by  wealth  and  the  influence 
and  position  it  gives,  could  have  ever  con 
trived  the  tricks,  insults  and  annoyances  to 
which  he  exposed  the  man  he  had  resolved 
to  ruin.  But  Stewart  seemed  to  root  him 
self  more  securely  by  means  of  the  very 
violence  of  the  malignant  opposition.  Bid- 
man  and  Walter  Sparker  were  baffled,  they 
could  not  tell  how,  and  hence  the  more  terribly 
enraged.  As  they  sat  together,  looking  out  of  the 
window  of  their  Alma  office,  the  former  said  : 

"You  and  Stewart  seem  running  a  tilt  for  Belle 
Standfast.  Who's  ahead?" 

"Curse  the  fellow!"  cried  Walter,  scowling.  "I 
hate  him  more  and  more.  He  crosses  me  everywhere. 
When  he's  not  with  Belle  he's  with  father;  and  he's 


BELLE    STANDFAST.  405 

like  a  snake  in  my  path  that  will  bite  if  I  don't 
scotch  him.  He  has  just  invented  an  electrical  engine 
for  the  old  man,  who  pets  and  nurses  the  thing  like 
a  child.  He  dotes  on  Stewart,  and  they  are  conferring 
and  confabulating  every  day,  and  trying  their  experi 
ments.  I  am  driven  from  the  table  and  almost  from 
my  home  by  this  upstart's  infernal  impudence." 

"I  tell  you,  it  looks  bad,"  growled  Bidman,  pulling 
his  hat  over  his  brow  and  puffing  more  vigorously  at 
his  cigar.  Then,  after  a  moment's  silence,  bringing 
his  hands  violently  together,  he  exclaimed  :  "By  Heaven, 
it's  got  to  stop !  There's  something  in  the  fellow  I 
can't  understand.  He's  like  a  leaded  pith-ball — tumble 
him  over,  and  he's  on  his  feet  again  before  you  can 
snap  your  fingers.  He  and  Standfast  are  thicker  than 
ever. " 

"Yes,"  replied  Walter,  with  a  darker  frown;  "I 
owe  John  a  grudge  for  the  help  he  gave  this  inter 
loper  with  those  cursed  inventions  which  so  won 
fathers  heart.  I  begin  to  hate  the  one  as  bad  as 
the  other." 

"But  you  are  after  his  daughter,"  said  Bidman. 
"I  can't  understand  it." 

"  Ah ! "  answered  Walter,  with  an  air  of  mystery, 
"  Saul,  you're  not  so  blind  as  you  pretend.  But  there 
is  something  in  it  you  don't  see.  The  mother's  on  my 
side,  but  John's  dead  against  me." 

"Surely,"  exclaimed  Bidman,  with  astonishment, 
"  you're  not  mad  enough  to  marry  the  girl.  You 
-would  disgrace  our  family.  Belle  Standfast,  daughter 


406  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

of  a  mechanic,  the  wife  of  Walter  Sparker!  It 
wouldn't  hurt  us  in  Alma,  but  it  would  destroy  us  in 
Newport  and  Saratoga.  We  should  have  to  sell  our 
cottages  in  those  places  and  move  out  of  society." 

"What  do  you  mean,  Bidman?"  said  Walter,  with 
a  sneer.  "My  family  fountain  is  in  a  blacksmith's 
shop,  and  yours  in  a  root-doctor's  office.  Let  us  wait 
a  few  generations  before  we  talk  of  contaminating 
our  blood  and  staining  our  respectability.  I  stand  on 
my  railroad  stock  and  nothing  else.  There's  no  sham 
there.  But  you  needn't  fear ;  I  have  no  thought  of 
marrying." 

"Well,  Walter,"  replied  Bidman,  "you're  venturing 
pretty  near.  All  the  village  is  talking  about  it.  The 
women  gossip  at  home,  and  the  men  in  the  shops  are 
betting  which  will  win — Edward  Stewart  or  Walter 
Sparker." 

"  To  the  dogs  with  the  village,  Saul  !  Don't  you 
see,  in  this  pretty  little  picture  of  a  girl,  I  can  tease 
Standfast  and  Stewart  at  the  same  time.  I  am  only 
sticking  a  few  pins  into  them,  as  a  boy  into  his 
bench-fellows  at  school,  to  see  them  squirm,  and 
perhaps  scream  a  little." 

"It's  dangerous  game,  I  tell  you,"  said  Bidman, 
"and  may  make  you  more  trouble  than  you're  calcu 
lating.  But  that's  your  business,  not  mine." 

"  And  I'm  in  a  dangerous  mood,  brother  Bidman," 
exclaimed  Walter,  passionately.  "These  two  men 
have  driven  me  nearly  crazy ;  and  while  I  mean  no 
harm  to  the  girl,  I  feel  we  are  both  within  the  circles 


BELLE    STANDFAST.  407 

of  a  whirlpool,  and  may  go  down  together.  Some 
times  I  fear  that  you  are  the  very  man  who  makes  me 
a  cursed  rascal;  and  yet  I  drive  on  with  a  hot  heart 
and  a  wild  eye.  But  I'm  going  to  cut  the  bridge 
behind  me,  and  leap  right  down  into  the  dark  chasm. 
Will  you  take  my  railway  stocks  and  give  me  Govern 
ment  securities  in  exchange  ?  I  don't  want  any  man 
to  know  my  affairs  by  looking  at  our  books,  and  this 
trade  will  set  me  free." 

"You're  a  lunatic,  Walter,"  said  Bidman,  with  sur 
prised  delight.  "Your  father  would  be  distracted,  should 
he  hear  of  this  transaction,  and  never  forgive  me. 
But  if  you  decide  to  do  it,  and  take  the  responsibility, 
it's  a  bargain." 

"  Yes  !  he'd  say  I  am  crazy,  and  going  to  the  devil. 
But  it's  my  fancy.  I  want  to  be  free,  and  feel  the 
world  is  before  me,  so  that  I  can  go  where  I  please, 
quick  as  a  telegraph  click.  Hand  me  over  your  cer 
tificates  and  I  will  give  you  mine." 

Of  all  things  this  was  what  Bidman  wanted.  He 
expected  that  it  would  require  years  to  ripen  the 
fruit,  and  lo,  it  is  suddenly  matured  in  the  torrid 
heats  of  Walter  Sparker's  passions,  and  dropping  unso 
licited  into  his  mouth.  The  absence  of  the  young 
man  from  the  country,  he  foresaw,  at  a  glance,  would 
soon  follow  from  his  wild  and  desperate  mental  state, 
and  that,  with  his  stocks  in  possession  and  the  proxies 
of  his  father,  he  would  at  once  be  the  virtual,  and 
soon  the  actual,  president  of  the  road.  This  was  the 
dream  of  his  life,  the  prize  of  his  ambition,  the  cen- 


408  KNIGHTS  OF  LABOR. 

ter   toward  which    had  tended  the   plans  and  villainies 
of  years.      The  exchange  was  speedily  made. 

"Now,"  began  Walter,  recklessly,  while  placing  the 
certificates  in  his  large  pocket-book,  "  these  are  my 
charters  of  freedom.  Neither  you  nor  the  old  man 
can  know  what  I  spend.  Curse  consequences !  My 
office  to  the  owls  !  I'm  my  own  master !  The  world 
is  before  me,  and  with  the  interest  of  half  a  million 
paid  quarterly  by  Uncle  Sam,  I  can  have  what  1  want 
in  any  country  I  may  honor  with  my  innocent  pre 
sence.  No  danger  of  a  poor-house,  although  I  may 
bring  up  in  a  lunatic  asylum.  I'll  do  as  I  please — 
snatch  the  present  hour  and  let  the  rest  go  to  the 
devil,  and  I  with  it,  if  I  choose." 

As  he  concluded  these  words,  he  looked  out  of  the 
window  and  saw  Edward  Stewart  escorting  Belle  Stand 
fast  along  the  street,  and,  pointing  to  them,  exclaimed: 
" There,  Saul  Bidman,  look  there!  If  you  want  to 
build  on  my  ruin,  now's  a  chance !  That's  the  first 
temptation  the  devil  addresses  to  my  new  liberty. 
Yon  fellow's  the  spark  that  always  sets  me  on  fire. 
I'll  spoil  that  game  before  his  Yankee  legs  can  carry 
him  two  more  blocks/' 

While  Walter  Sparker  is  getting  his  hat,  cane  and 
gloves,  we  will  recount  what  had  occurred  between 
Belle  Standfast  and  Edward  Stewart  but  a  few  minutes 
before.  But  as  she  trips  by  his  side  along  the  street 
let  me  describe  the  girl. 

She  was  a  petite  creature — an  airy,  pretty  thing— in 
her  way  perfect — a  brilliant  toy,  an  animated  doll — 


BELLE    STANDFAST.  409 

graceful  as  a  bird,  and  as  full  of  nerve  and  flame — 
her  bloom  rich  and  delicate  as  the  morning— her  shape 
exquisite  in  its  symmetry,  and  all  her  motions  charm 
ing—her  features  regular,  except  a  slight  plebeian 
upturning  of  the  nose — her  eyes  varying  in  color, 
according  to  the  feelings  they  expressed — her  taste  in 
dress  corresponding  to  her  form — bright,  fitful,  spark 
ling,  with  smiles  and  tears  equally  at  her  command. 
She  could  kiss  John  Standfast  and  persuade  Mary 
Standfast  into  anything.  If  they  had  not  for  her 
niche  and  shrine  and  altar,  she  was  no  less  the  divin 
ity  of  their  home.  The  defect  of  her  character  was, 
that  in  Belle  Standfast  taste  was  a  substitute  for  con 
science.  She  had  her  mother's  French  mercury, 
with  the  freedom  of  our  American  quicksilver,  instead 
of  the  delicate  restraints  of  the  land  of  her  maternal 
ancestors.  Her  mother  and  father  were  both  unedu 
cated,  and  this  excited  in  her  a  sense  of  superiority, 
and  in  them  a  consciousness  of  inferiority,  because 
Belle  had  enjoyed  all  the  advantages  of  a  modern 
school.  She  thus  grew  up  without  that  subjection  to 
authority  which  lies  at  the  root  of  both  principle  and 
refinement  and  of  all  family  felicity,  and  without 
which  men  and  women  are  drifted  hither  and  thither 
on  the  changeful  currents  of  this  stormy  human  exist 
ence. 

Belle   Standfast,   with  all  her  faults,  was  fascinating, 
and  Edward  Stewart,   so  differently  born  and  educated, 
had    been    now    three    months    under    her    spell.       That' 
such  a    grave,    sensible,    and    superior    man    should    be 


410  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

dominated  by  such  a  mercurial  piece  of  pretty  female 
flesh  is  a  phenomenon  in  our  nature  impossible  to 
explain.  One  glance  at  his  splendid,  aristocratic 
mother,  and  her  family  history  and  educational 
principles,  would  have  increased  the  difficulty  of 
the  problem.  Yet,  the  fact  remained.  Stewart  had 
been  for  months  madly  in  love  with  the  daughter,  and 
was  the  intimate  and  confidential  friend  of  the  father. 
She  mingled  with  all  his  thoughts,  colored  all  his  plans, 
and  was  the  beautiful  center  of  his  life.  For  him 
she  had  an  instinctive,  profound,  sisterly  respect. 

That  very  morning,  Edward  had  resolved  to  settle 
the  question  of  his  heart.  He  could  wait  no  longer. 
Walter  Sparker,  during  the  same  period,  had  been 
equally  devoted,  and  it  seemed  as  yet  impossible  to 
decide  which  the  girl  preferred.  Possibly,  she  scarcely 
knew  herself.  Just  before  leaving  her  house,  the 
following  conversation  occurred,  which  was  conclusive 
of  the  whole  subject. 

As  they  were  seated  together  in  the  parlor,  after 
a  long,  gay,  discursive  conversation,  Edward,  pausing, 
suddenly  said  : 

"  Miss  Standfast,  can  you  be  serious  for  a  single 
moment  ?" 

"Mr.  Stewart,"  she  replied,  with  an  arch,  dimpling 
smile,  "can  you  be  jolly  for  a  single  moment?  I'll 
make  a  bargain,  and  well  exchange  natures,  and  thus 
your  request  will  be  granted." 

" But,"  said  Stewart,  gaily,  "I  do  not  want  you  to 
change,  but  to  be  always  just  as  you  are.  If  you 


BELLE    STANDFAST.  411 

were  anybody  else,  I  would  not  have  it  in  my  jieart 
to  say  anything." 

' '  That,  I  suppose,  you  intend  as  a  compliment,  and 
to  bribe  me  into  being  serious,"  she  replied,  playfully. 
"Well,  I  accept  the  price  and  close  the  bargain." 
Then,  dropping  her  head,  and  looking  amusingly 
demure,  she  added:  "See  how  serious  I  am!"' 

Stewart  was  embarrassed  by  her  coy  ways  and 
looks,  but  at  last  contrived  to  say  : 

"I  have  been  with  you  a  great  deal  for  the  last 
three  months.  Do  you  know  what  I  mean  ? " 

"  So  has  Walter  Sparker,"  she  said,  tossing  her  curls, 
with  a  coquettish  grace,  "and  what  does  he  mean?" 

For  a  moment  Edward  blushed,  and  was  confounded, 
but  at  last  he  resumed  : 

"  The  time  has  come  for  you  to  choose,  Miss 
Standfast." 

"It  is  impossible,  Mr.  Stewart.  I  can't  do  it.  My 
heart  can  no  more  be  fixed  than  a  drop  of  quicksilver. 
You  are  too  grave  for  a  merry  doll  like  me,  and  would 
soon  become  tired  of  me,  like  a  little  girl  with  her 
painted  toy." 

"  Never,  Miss  Standfast,  never,"  he  replied,  earnestly 
and  firmly. 

"Oh,  what  shall  I  do  ?"  she  exclaimed,  wringing  her 
hands,  in  assumed  distress.  "Papa  always  praises 
you,  and  mamma  always  praises  Walter  Sparker,  and 
cook  declares  for  Mr.  Edward,  and  our  waitress  for 
Mr.  Walter.  All  my  cousins  and  relatives  are  equally 
divided.  One  of  them  told  me  the  men  in  the  shops 


412  KNIGHTS  OF  LABOR. 

are  having  their  bets  about  me— a  poor,  innocent,  little 
lamb,  who  is  not  responsible  for  the  storm,  and  yet 
suffers  because  it  blows." 

"Miss  Standfast,"  answered  Stewart,  slightly  off  ended, 
"let  me  ask  you  not  to  jest." 

"But  I  can't  help  it,"  she  replied,  pettishly.  "I 
laugh  just  to  see  you  looking  so  grave.  Oh,  I'm  like 
the  poor  little  bird  which  can't  tell  on  which  tree  to 
find  shelter,  and  drops  down  on  the  ground  to  soil  its 
bright,  pretty  feathers." 

"  Miss  Standfast,"  said  Edward,  rising  and  almost 
angry,  "if  this  continues  I  will  have  to  leave  you." 

"No,  no,  Mr.  Stewart,"  answered  the  gay  girl, 
sobered  instantly ;  "  let  me  beg  you  not  to  be  hasty. 
Shall  I  tell  you,  truly,  what  I  think  and  feel?" 

"As  you  value  my  happiness  and  my  whole  future 
life,  Miss  Standfast,"  he  said,  with  great  emphasis  of 
tone  and  manner.  "  I  find  myself  neglecting  my 
business,  and  in  a  very  unpleasant  situation,  and  I 
hope  that  you  will  answer  me  plainly  and  instantly." 

"  Mr.  Stewart,"  she  replied,  with  the  most  suitable 
gravity,  "  I  have  thought  over  this  subject  as  deeply 
and  as  often  as  yourself.  Seriously,  I  am  not  suitable 
to  be  your  wife.  You  would  forever  regret  that  you 
married  me." 

"You  must  let  me  take  the  risk  of  that!"  he  said, 
with  a  look  of  bitter  disappointment. 

"Oh,  no  sir.  I,  too,  am  a  party  to  this  contract, 
and  your  unhappiness  would  be  my  own.  Your  mother 
would  never  cordially  consent,  and  between  her  and 


BELLE    STANDFAST.  413 

my  family  there  would  be  an  unpleasant  barrier. 
Besides,  I  am  less  of  a  bee  than  a  butterfly.  I  could 
not  help  you  in  the  struggle  before  you.  Gay  wings 
do  not  bring  honey  to  the  hive.  Plain  as  my  parents 
are,  my  tastes  are  expensive.  Instead  of  economizing 
in  your  household,  I  would  be  a  useless  and  extrav 
agant  plaything,  and  you  would  soon  become  weary 
of  toiling  for  my  support.  I  know  you,  and  I  know 
myself,  arid  I  know  that  I  am  right.  You  think  that 
you  love  me  so  as  to  justify  marriage.  This  is  a 
dream  and  an  error.  I  feel  that  even  now  I  am 
piercing  the  bubble  and  dispelling  the  bright  vision." 

It  was  so.  The  girl's  instincts  were  right.  Edward 
Stewart  felt  it  as  she  spoke.  A  veil  seemed  suddenly 
lifted,  and  he  saw  her  and  saw  himself,  and  saw  peril. 
Walter  Sparker  was  a  vain,  weak,  unprincipled  gallant, 
and  Belle  Standfast's  intimacy  with  him  would  become 
dangerous  the  moment  his  own  counteracting  influence 
was  withdrawn. 

This  the  girl  perceived  also.  She  felt  a  secret 
terror  in  drifting  from  the  true  heart  of  a  man  whose 
arm  could  always  be  relied  on  for  her  protection, 
and  in  flinging  herself  into  the  power  of  a  man  whom 
she  might  love  but  could  never  trust.  Indeed,  it  was 
the  crisis  of  her  existence.  Her  whole  future  was  in 
the  decision  of  that  brief  moment. 

Belle,  looking  into  Edward's  eye  and  grasping  nerv 
ously  his  arm,  said,  almost  beseechingly  :  "Mr.  Stewart, 
you  will  be  my  brother  !  I  know  you  will !  I  will 
need  you  !  I  feel  that  I  will  need  you ! " 


414  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

He  gazed  steadily  into  her  large  and  beautiful  eye, 
and  saw  it  dimmed  with  a  tear.  This  was  the  fare 
well  glance  of  his  first  youthful  affection.  He  then 
said,  sadly : 

"Miss  Standfast,  you  have  understood  our  relation 
better  than  I.  We  will  be  to  each  other  brother  and 
sister.  You  will  always  find  me  a  faithful  friend." 

"You  know,  Mr.  Stewart,"  she  resumed,  "that  I  am 
a  spoiled  child,  and  rule  my  papa  and  my  mamma, 
and,  hence,  I  need  a  kind  adviser.  I  hope  that  you 
will  always  be  my  true  and  loving  brother.  And  now 
begin  your  new  duties  by  escorting  me  to  the  store," 
she  added,  with  her  former  girlish  gaiety.  Thither 
they  were  proceeding  when  they  encountered  Walter 
Sparker.  After  the  salutations  of  the  morning,  Edward 
left  them  together.  Returning  from  the  village  store, 
they  soon  entered  the  parlor  of  John  Standfast,  and 
occupied  the  seats  so  recently  left  vacant.  Yet  how 
changed  in  a  few  minutes  all  the  relations  and  circum 
stances  within  those  same  silent  walls  ! 

With  the  amazing  and  dangerous  freedom  of  our 
American  life,  these  young  people  call  each  other 
familiarly  by  their  christened  names. 

"Belle,"  began  Walter,  flirting  his  glove  jauntily 
against  her  blooming  cheek,  "I  have  a  favor  to  ask  of 
you." 

"But  don't  begin  that  way,  Walter,"  she  said, 
pettishly;  "I  don't  like  it.  You  are  too  free  with  that 
glove,  which  you  like  to  exhibit  as  a  proof  of  your 
dainty,  little  aristocratic  hand." 


BELLE    STANDFAST.  415 

"Nonsense,  Belle,"  he  said,  blushing;  "your  arrows 
are  very  small  and  nicely  pointed,  but  you  intend  them 
to  be  sharp  as  needles,"  he  replied,  drawing  on  his 
glove. 

"Well,  Walter,"  she  answered,  "needles  are  more 
suitable  than  daggers  to  wound  delicate  young  fellows 
who  can't  bear  much." 

As  she  said  this,  she  innocently  picked  to  pieces  a 
lovely  rose,  and  scattered  over  the  floor  the  bright 
leaves,  filling  the  air  with  their  fragrance,  and  lying 
at  her  feet  the  gay  types  of  the  fading  and  broken 
visions  of  youthful  hope  and  love. 

"By  the  way,  Belle,"  said  Walter,  "I  think  that 
you  are  about  as  hard  on  your  friends  as  your  little 
fingers  are  on  that  rose.  You  scatter  us  right  and  left 
like  leaves,  but  I  don't  think  you  get  quite  as  sweet  a 
scent  as  from  that  flower." 

"Use  more  cologne  and  better  quality,"  she  replied, 
laughing.  "You  must  either  disguise  yourself  or  sign 
the  temperance  pledge." 

"  I  have  made  a  pledge,  my  fairy,"  he  said,  with  a 
reckless  air;  "but  it  is  a  pledge  never  to  take  a  pledge, 
and  to  be  free  to  get  all  the  honey  I  can  out  of  life, 
and  as  little  of  the  sting  and  poison  as  possible.  Now, 
I  want  you  to  sign  with  me  right  on  the  spot." 

"  But  what  am  I  to  sign  ?  Explain,"  she  added, 
"and  I  will  please  you  if  I  can." 

"We  are  to  have  a  jolly  season,"  he  answered; 
"  plays,  concerts,  operas  in  endless  number  and  varieties, 
with  the  brightest  stars  ever  seen  in  New  York.  My 


416  KNIGHTS  OF  LABOR. 

private  car  is  always  at  my  disposal.  Now,  what's  the 
use  of  eternally  asking  your  parents  whether  you  shall 
go  with  me,  and  having  a  family  discussion  ;  your  father 
on  one  side  and  your  mother  on  the  other ;  servants 
ditto ;  and  this  whole  infernal  village  babbling  over 
our  affairs.  Quit  making  people  quarrel  and  take  the 
matter  into  your  own*  hand.  Assert  your  liberty,  and, 
little  despot  that  you  are,  after  a  short  fuss  everybody 
will  yield  and  leave  you  to  your  own  will,  and  we'll 
have  a  grand  old  winter." 

"Walter,"  she  said,  not  with  firmness,  "that 
wouldn't  look  well.  It  offends  my  taste.  I  know 
that  I  am  giddy  and  reckless,  but  I  hate  what 
seems  improper.  Yet  it  is  a  bother  to  have  all  you  do 
talked  over  and  fussed  over  until  the  heart  is  out  of 
your  frolic.  Before  I  can  do  anything  I  am  always 
sick  of  the  trouble  it  costs.  Liberty  would  be  a  very 
nice  thing." 

"Make  a  declaration  of  independence,  Belle,"  he  said, 
with  a  wdnk  and  a  laugh.  "Run  up  your  own  colors 
for  a  free  fight.  You  are  sure  to  win.  You  always  do. 
You  must  be  queen,  whatever  you  attempt,  and  rule 
others  as  you  rule  me.  I  am  going  to-night  to  Booth's  to 
see  lago.  Accept  my  invitation  and  inform  your  mother 
that  the  engagement's  made.  She'll  make  it  all  right 
with  your  father,  and  you'll  reign  in  this  house  and  do 
as  you  please." 

"I  won't  promise,  Walter,"  she  replied;  "'but  I  will 
accept  your  invitation,  and  think  over  it  whether  I  will 
ask  permission,  or  announce  my  royal  pleasure.  It  is 


BELLE    STANDFAST.  417 

a  bold  step  and  means  a  great  deal,  and  I'm  not  quite 
ready  for  it." 

''•  Agreed,"  said  Sparker.  "Be  prepared  for  the 
seven  o'clock  train.  My  carriage  will  call  for  you. 
We  must  be  at  the  theater  by  eight.  I  will  telegraph 
for  a  box." 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  Belle  followed  the 
suggestion  of  Walter.  She  proclaimed  her  independence. 
During  the  whole  season  she  was  her  own  mistress. 
Her  parents  no  longer  interposed  a  restraint  or  even 
made  an  inquiry.  A  gay  gallant  and  a  splendid  car 
were  always  at  her  disposal.  She  could  not  be 
insensible  to  such  a  tribute  to  her  beauty.  The  enter 
tainments  were  brilliant.  Genius  never  sparkled 
brighter.  All  that  money  could  command  from  two 
continents  blazed  through  the  winter  in  the  Metropolis. 
After  the  musical  or  dramatic  enjoyments,  Walter  and 
Belle  had  the  most  costly  dainties  and  expensive  wines 
Delmonico  could  furnish.  .The  pleasures  of  sense 
followed  the  excitements  of  the  imagination.  That 
season  was  one  whirl  of  delights.  The  young  man 
and  woman  surrendered  themselves  to  the  joys  of  the 
hour,  reckless  of  consequences.  Life  swept  them  along 
its  swift  current,  on  either  side  of  its  banks  gay  and 
beautiful  flowers,  aloft  on  the  gorgeous  clouds  the 
temple  of  pleasure,  in  the  breeze  music,  and  on  the 
wave  exhilaration,  and  in  the  beat  of  every  pulse  the 
intoxication  of  youth  and  health.  While  the  guardian 
angel  gazed  sadly  from  the  shore,  a  demon  leered  over 
them  in  the  dimming  distance,  and  just  around  the  bend 


418 


KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 


of    the    stream   were    the    roar   and  the  plunge    of   the 
inevitable  cataract. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE    ANVIL. 

DWARD   STEWART  was   greatly  dis 
turbed    by  the   increasing  intimacy 
between  Walter    Sparker  and  Belle 
Standfast  after  the  events  described 
in  our  last   chapter.      Many  nights 
of   every  week  they  spent  amid  the  gaieties 
of  New  York.      Stewart  sometimes  gazed  on 
John    Standfast,    wondering  if  he  was  as  in 
sensible  to  the  peril  of    his    daughter    as    he 
appeared.      And    Mrs.  Standfast !      Was    she 
blinded  by  her  ambition  ?      Over  them   all  a 
dark  cloud  seemed  gathering. 

With  so  many  doubts  and  fears  he  was  relieved, 
when  John  Standfast  desired  a  confidential  conversation, 
but  even  more  alarmed  when  he  discovered  that  the 
subject  of  it  was  not  to  be  Belle, 

"Mr.  Stewart,"  began  John,  "I  wish  to  have  your 
advice  about  a  most  difficult  question.  My  duty  is  not 
plain.  A  mist  seems  settling  over  everything  and  I 
have  lost  my  way.  I  somehow  feel  in  talking  to  you 
I  will  see  what  I  ought  to  do."  4 

"You  know,  John,"  said  Edward,  "I  am  always  at 
your  service.  You  were  my  friend  in  need,  and  I 


420  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

must  be  your  friend  indeed.  State  your  -case  and  I 
will  give  you  all  the  help  in  my  power." 

"I  was  invited  last  night  to  attend  a  meeting  of 
the  strikers,  and  I  went." 

' '  That,  indeed,  astonishes  me.  I  thought  your  great 
purpose  was  to  defeat  their  plans,  and  that  you  would 
have  no  communication  with  them.  To  have  found 
myself  in  their  midst  would  not  have  amazed  me 
more." 

"You  are  both  right  and  wrong,"  replied  John, 
thoughtfully.  "I  think  that  capital  often  oppresses 
labor,  and  that  labor  has  a  right  to  protect  itself 
against  capital.  I  sympathize  with  the  end  proposed 
by  the  strikers,  while  I  wholly  disapprove  the  means 
they  employ.  Standing  thus  between  Capital  and 
Labor,  and,  in  my  position  as  master  mechanic,  nearly 
equally  connected  with  both,  it  becomes  my  duty  to 
do  what  I  can  to  reconcile  their  conflicting  feelings 
and  interests.  In  the  midst  of  war,  I  seek  peace 
between  the  parties." 

"Well  spoken,  John,  and  like  yourself!"  cried 
Edward.  "I  see  your  position,  and  I  honor  it.  Nor 
is  it  dissimilar  to  my  own.  How  can  I  assist  you  ?" 

"Some  New  York  Socialists  were  at  the  meeting  last 
night,  and,  worse  than  all,  Ruric,  the  Nihilist,"  replied 
Standfast.  "Many  dangerous  and  abominable  things 
were  said  and  done  which  General  Sparker  ought  to  know. 
There  is  peril  all  around  us  to  life  and  property.  I 
can't  trust  Bidman,  and  to  tell  him  what  occurred 
would  be  the  act  of  a  traitor  to  men  whose  invitation  I 


THE    ANVIL.  42t 

accepted.  But  is  it  not  otherwise  with  General  Sparker  ? 
He  is  my  true  and  tried  friend,  the  President  of  the 
road,  and  a  man  in  whom  I  can  confide.  Besides,  I 
am  under  no  pledge  of  secrecy.  Would  I  violate  my 
honor  by  confiding  to  General  Sparker  the  proceedings 
of  a  meeting  attended  under  the  circumstances  I  have 
described  ?  " 

"I  confess,  that  is  a  hard  question,"  answered 
Edward,  puzzled  for  a  moment.  "You  do  not  want 
to  feel  you  have  betrayed  the  men,  and  you  do  not 
want  to  keep  from  your  friend  and  employer  a  knowl 
edge  of  his  danger." 

"That  is  it!"  said  Standfast.  "I  am  entirely  in 
doubt.  I  do  not  know  what  to  do.  My  way  seems 
dark." 

"I  think  I  have  it!"  exclaimed  Edward,  in  a  cheer 
ful  and  confident  tone.  "Your  first  obligation  is  to  the 
road,  and  to  General  Sparker  as  its  representative.  Life 
and  property  are  involved,  and  also  the  peace,  and,  indeed, 
the  very  existence  of  society.  You  did  not  ask  the  secrets 
of  the  men,  and  you  did  not  promise  silence.  It  is  a 
most  extraordinary  case,  and  requires  extraordinary 
conduct.  Hesitate  no  longer.  In  my  opinion,  your 
obligation  arising  from  your  position  is  paramount." 

"Thank  you,  thank  you,"  answered  John,  as  if  a 
mountain  was  suddenly  lifted  from  him.  "It  is  all 
plain  now.  A  mist  seems  to  have  cleared  from  my 
brain.  I  felt  sure  in  talking  with  you  I  would  recover 
my  path.  I  will  go,  and  you  must  go  with  me." 

"I  doubt  that,  John." 


422  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

"But  I  do  not,"  said  Standfast,  with  a  firm  and 
assured  look  and  voice.  "  General  Sparker  is  too  old 
for  action,  and  he  will  need  us  both.  Bidman  and 
Walter  he  can  never  trust.  They  are  enemies  to  his 
whole  policy,  and  the  men  despise  and  detest  them,  so 
that  they  could  do  nothing  but  make  the  strife  more 
bitter  and  dangerous.  In  this  crisis  we  must  fall  back 
on  you.  Besides,  I  want  you  for  a  witness.  If  I  go  to 
General  Sparker  on  this  business,  you  must  go  with  me." 

"Agreed!"  said  Edward.       "Name  your  time." 

"This  evening  at  eight  o'clock  at  the  General's 
house.  I  will  send  him  notice." 

The  men  separated,  and  at  the  appointed  hour  were 
together  in  the  library  of  the  veteran  President.  He 
was  in  a  neat,  plain,  ample  gown,  which  showed  his 
person  to  the  best  advantage  as  he  sat  in  his  great 
chair  beside  a  table  covered  over  with  various  kinds 
of  electrical  apparatus,  including  a  recent  invention  of 
Edward  Stewart.  The  grand  old  man  did  not  use  the 
privilege  of  age  to  live  in  the  past,  or  even  in  the 
present.  His  intellectual  strength  was  now  devoted 
to  a  future  he  would  never  live  to  see.  This  caused 
the  fire  of  youth  to  burn  unchilled  by  the  snows  of 
eighty  years.  His  face  was  t  thin,  but  his  form  unbent, 
and  his  eye  bright  with  intelligence  and  enthusiasm.  Ris 
ing  from  his  chair  he  extended  his  hand  and  gave 
his  friends  a  warm  welcome,  saying  : 

"I  was  glad,  John,  to  receive  your  note.  I  am 
still  more  glad  to  see  you  both  here.  It  is,  indeed,  a 
pleasure  to  have  you  with  me  this  evening." 


THE    ANVIL.  423 

After  a  short  desultory  conversation,   Standfast  said  : 

"  General,  after  consulting  Mr.  Stewart,  I  thought  it 
was  my  duty  to  tell  you  some  matters  of  great  import 
ance.  But  I  am  afraid  to  trouble  and  perhaps  I 
might  alarm  you." 

"Alarm  me!"  said  the  General,  smiling.  "I  think 
I  am  too  old  to  be  frightened.  Do  you  remember 
nearly  a  quarter  of  century  since,  when  our  men  sought 
to  mob  our  shops  and  I  went  into  a  crazy  crowd  to 
talk  with  the  fellows  ?  Two  rascals  seized  me  and  threw 
me  into  the  river.  I  swam  out,  went  back  to  the 
same  spot,  and  began  where  I  left  off.  They  repeated 
the  experiment  a  second  time,  and  I,  dripping,  com 
menced  again.  After  a  third  bath,  I  succeeded  in 
dispersing  the  rabble." 

"Yes,"  answered  John,  laughing  heartily.  "They 
doused  you  under,  and  you  swam  like  a  beaver,  and 
talked  like  a  preacher,  minding  the  water  no  more 
than  a  Newfoundland  dog." 

"And  next  night,  John,  do  you  recollect  how  they 
surrounded  the  house  with  torches  to  burn  us  up, 
yelling  like  demons  ?" 

"Well!  General,  well!  You  and  old  Colonel 
Fleming  sat  still  and  finished  your  game  of  cards 
without  raising  an  eye  or  moving  a  muscle.  I  could 
see  you  through  the  windows,  in  the  glare  of  the 
torches.  All  those  mobbers  were  looking,  too.  Your 
courage  subdued  them,  and  saved  you." 

"So,  Mr.  Stewart,"  said  the  General,  addressing 
Edward  with  his  beaming  smile,  "you  see  that  I 


424  KNIGHTS    OF   LABOR. 

was  threatened  with  water  one  day,  and  fire  the  next. 
Drowning  and  burning !  Yet  here  I  am  to  laugh 
over  the  adventure  ;  after  such  a  life  as  mine,  there  is 
not  much  cause  to  be  alarmed.  Besides,"  he  added, 
solemnly  and  reverently,  "my  trust  is  in  one  who 
rules  the  universe  better  than  I  can  do." 

"All  right,"  exclaimed  John;  "I  have  no  more  fears 
on  the  subject.  You  shall  know  what  I  have  seen  and 
heard." 

"And  I  shall  tell  you,"  said  the  General,  "what  I 
think  of  your  communication." 

"  I  attended  last  night  the  meeting  of  the  '  Labor 
Club,'"  resumed  Standfast.  "Some  present  were  mere 
boys,  ready  for  a  frolic.  Others  were  idle,  drinking, 
worthless  fellows,  deeply  in  debt,  and  who  gain  by 
any  change.  A  third  class  was  composed  of  indus 
trious  men,  of  hot  passions  and  prejudices,  ignorant 
and  badly  disposed,  and  wrought  into  frenzy  by  a  few 
New  York  Nihilists,  until  they  are  ready  for  fire, 
blood,  and  ruin.  These  fellows  are  sure  to  make  us 
trouble." 

"  But,"  said  the  General,  with  an  expression  of 
pain  and  disappointment,  "  where  are  the  men  who 
own  their  homes  and  have  wives  and  children  to 
support  ?  I  have  relied  on  these  to  control  the  rest. 
Their  property  and  their  families  make  them  conserva 
tive.  And  then  have  they  lost  all  regard  for  me  ? 
Have  they  forgotten  what  I  have  done  for  them  ?  My 
life  seems  a  failure,  and  human  nature  without  hope." 
Not  so,  General,"  cried  Standfast,  earnestly. 


. . 


THE    ANVIL.  425 

"Your  policy  is  indeed  sorely  tried,  but  it  will 
,  triumph.  You  are  universally  loved  and  respected. 
Your  school,  your  college,  hospital  and  infirmary  are 
proofs  to  all  of  your  benevolence.  The  ignorant  you 
teach,  the  sick  you  cure,  the  wounded  you  heal,  the 
aged  .and  infirm  you  support  by  your  noble  charities, 
are  daily  lessons  and  make  their  powerful  impression. 
But  others,  just  now,  are  shaping  the  policy  of  the 
road,  and  many  evil  influences  are  conspiring  to  cause 
danger  everywhere.  The  Nihilists,  too,  are  busy  as 
devils,  and  will  turn  this  world  into  hell  if  they  can." 

"I  had  hoped  for  quiet,"  said  the  General,  sadly, 
"but  the  storm  has  come,  and  we  must  meet  it.  I 
think  Dr.  Bidman  is  mistaken,  and  his  views  increase 
our  difficulties.  His  house  is  like  a  fort,  bristling 
with  guns ;  and  he  boasts  he  will  shoot  down  these 
men  like  dogs.  Such  talk  only  infuriates  them, 
especially  when  they  see  he  is  ready  to  follow  his 
words  with  bullets.  Oh,  that  my  dear  son,  Walter, 
was  fitted  to  stand  by  the  side  of  his  old  father,  and 
support  him  with  his  young  strength ! " 

A  tear  dropped  from  the  eye  of  the  General  as  he 
said  this,  and  his  friends  were  deeply  moved.  Their 
hearts  were  linked  to  him  by  a  stronger  tie  than  ever. 

During  the  conversation  I  have  recorded,  Edward 
Stewart  had  remained  silent.  He  now  said  : 

"  General,  may  I  not  venture  a  suggestion  ?  Would 
it  not  be  better  for  you  to  have  arms  in  your  own 
house,  and  a  guard  around  it  ? " 

"Never,  Mr.   Stewart,"  replied    the    noble   man,    with 


426  KNIGHTS    OF   LABOR. 

the  utmost  vehemence.  "  Never !  I  will  burn  first. 
My  plan  has  been  to  govern  by  justice  and  by  benevo 
lence.  If  these  fail  me,  I  wish  to  die.  Perish  this 
hand,  before  it  would  level  a  weapon  against  one  of 
my  workmen,  even  the  most  murderous  !  I  am  too  old 
now  for  a  stain  of  blood  in  my  own  defence.  None 
are  dependent  on  me.  I  stand  alone,  and  am  responsible 
but  for  myself.  Let  the  solitary  trunk  be  cut  down, 
but  injure  none  as  it  falls  upon  its  mother  earth." 

The  breasts  of  his  friends  heaved  as  they  heard  these 
simple,  eloquent  words,  and  they  could  with  difficulty 
restrain  their  tears.  Edward  at  last  summoned  resolu 
tion  to  begin  again. 

"  I  honor  your  courage,  General,  admire  your  wisdom, 
and  think  that  you  are  right  as  regards  your  own 
property.  But  may  I  not  ask  if  a  different  rule  should 
not  apply  to  the  property  of  the  Company  ?" 

"There,  I  think,"  he  replied,  "the  case  is  different, 
and  I  should  act  not  according  to  my  own  private 
views  and  feelings,  but  the  opinions  and  wishes  of  the 
stockholders  and  directors." 

"Will  you  not,  then,  sir,"  inquired  Stewart,  "direct 
us  precisely  what  to  do.  We  must  act  by  authority, 
and  yours  is  the  highest." 

"Do  this,"  he  replied  immediately.  "Provide  pistols, 
rifles  and  powder,  and  a  water-tank  for  the  roof  of 
the  shops.  Have  two  or  three  men  keep  guard  at 
night,  and  telegraph  both  to  the  State  and  the  Federal 
authorities  for  troops  in  case  assistance  be  needed.  Let 
all  be  arranged  secretly,  but  promptly  and  efficiently.  I 


THE    ANVIL.  42*? 

suspect  this  Strike  will  convulse  the  whole  country.  It 
will  be  a  social  and  political  earthquake." 

"You  shall  be  obeyed  to  the  letter,"  said  John,  "and 
what  you  have  directed  is  all  that  can  be  done.  Now, 
General,  that  we  have  disposed  of  these  important 
matters,  I  have  a  small  personal  favor  to  ask  of  you." 

"Ask,  John,"  he  replied;  "it  shall  be  granted,  to 
the  half  of  my  kingdom,''  he  added,  with  a  benevolent 
smile.  "  I  can  deny  nothing  to  a  faithful  friend  like 
you,  and  you  are  never  unreasonable.  What  is  it  ? 

"I  want  to  see  the  anvil  on  which  you  wrought  in 
the  early  years  of  your  manhood,"  said  Standfast,  with 
one  of  his  quiet,  quizzical  looks. 

"Your  request  shall  be  granted,"  answered  the 
General,  pulling  the  bell.  He  gave  directions  to  the 
servant  that  the  gardener  and  coachman  should  bring 
the  anvil  down  from  the  attic,  where  it  had  long  stood, 
worn  by  work,  and  rusty  with  age.  When  the  men 
carried  it  into  the  parlor  and  placed  it  on  the  table  of 
the  General,  he  viewed  it  with  deep  emotion,  and  his 
friends  examined  it  with  the  most  profound  interest  and 
attention. 

"What  a  comment  on  my  life!"  began  the  venerable 
man.  "  My  father  and  my  grandfather  beat  that  anvil 
with  their  honest  sledges  and  bedewed  it  with  the 
sweat  of  their  toil !  How  often,  when  a  child,  I  saw 
the  sparks  fly  from  it  !  This  arm  of  mine  struck  on  it 
many  a  hard  blow ,  and  brought  from  it  a  living  for  my 
young  wife  and  two  children  during  the  five  happiest 
years  of  my  existence.  I  love  and  honor  it  as  the 


428  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

foundation  of  the  colossal  fortune  with  which  I  have 
been  blessed  by  Heaven !  It  reminds  me  that  I  was 
myself  a  laborer,  recalls,  as  such,  my  toils  and  trials, 
and  keeps  me  in  sympathy  with  every  humble  work 
man  in  the  world.  Poverty  and  wealth  are  visible 
together  in  that  anvil,  and  it  unites  my  own  heart  to 
the  two  opposite  extremes  of  society.  Pardon  me,  my 
friends,"  he  added,  as  if  ashamed  of  his  own  excited 
feeling,  which  might  seem  vanity.  "Pardon  me!  I  have 
said  too  much,  and  will  change  the  subject.  Mr. 
Stewart,  I  have  heard  a  great  deal  about  this  Nihilist, 
Ruric.  Have  you  ever  seen  him  ?  I  should  like  to 
know  something  of  his  history  and  character." 

"I  have  seen  him  a  few  times,"  replied  Stewart, 
"and  he  is  a  wonderful  man.  His  appearance  is  most 
striking.  He  is  a  noble,  portly-looking  fellow.  In 
size,  shape  and  bearing,  fit  for  the  throne  of  the  Czar, 
but  with  a  villainous  leer  in  the  eye,  and  a  passion  in 
his  speech  that  results  from  some  partial  insanity." 

"What  is  the  secret  of  his  influence?"  inquired  the 
General.  "  I  am  told  that  his  words  kindle  the  men 
into  the  wildest  frenzy,  and  that  he  is  the  soul  of  this 
social  movement  which  threatens  such  wide  ruin." 

"It  is  not  the  eloquence  of  mere  general  declamation," 
said  Edward,  "which  produces  these  effects,  although  he 
possesses  the  greatest  fluency  and  is  a  master  of  our 
own  language." 

"Tell  me,  then,"  said  the  General,  with  awakened 
curiosity,  "what  is  the  spell  he  wields  with  so  much 
power." 


THE    ANVIL.  429 

"  He  points  to  himself,  General/'  replied  Edward. 
"  He  intensifies  his  arguments  by  his  own  experience. 
He  claims  to  be  a  visible  proof  of  the  hate  and  rage 
of  tyrants.  It  is  the  tale  of  his  wrongs  which  lashes 
our  men  into  fury,  and  makes  them  ready  for  fire  and 
blood  and  the  very  destruction  of  society.  I  hap 
pened  once  to  hear  him  at  a  street  corner,  and  I  do 
not  wonder  that  ignorant  laborers  are  excited  and 
deluded  by  his  words." 

"Tell,  tell  me,"  said  the  General,  "what  he  says  of 
himself.  I  wish  to  hear  his  story." 

"He  proclaimed  himself  to  be  a  Russian  nobleman," 
answered  Edward,  "  who,  after  the  emancipation,  gave 
more  than  half  his  estate  to  the  Commune  for  the 
benefit  of  the  liberated  serfs,  and  who  was  willing  to 
give  all  to  secure  liberty  in  Russia.  After  granting  so 
much  to  the  people — trial  by  jury,  a  free  press,  the 
right  of  speech  in  local  assemblies — thus  exciting 
enthusiasm  for  a  brilliant  future,  he  says  the  Emperor 
became  alarmed,  fixed  again  his  royal  fetter  on  every 
movement,  quenched  the  very  hopes  he  had  kindled, 
filled  the  land  with  spies,  and,  on  their  testimony,  the 
mines  and  prisons  of  Siberia  with  exiled  wretches  to 
whom  life  was  made  torture.  He  declares  that  he, 
himself,  punished  for  the  illusions  of  youth  created  by 
the  Czar,  lived  in  a  charnel  house,  clammy  with 
fungus,  every  moment  ready  to  drop  on  him  in  ruin, 
the  air  fetid,  and  the  dirt  deadly  in  his  loathsome  den. 
Once  he  was  flogged  until  he  fainted,  recovered  with 
a  dash  of  water,  then  felled  to  the  earth  with  a 


430  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOK. 

prison  key,  and  afterwards  tied  with  other  wretches, 
beaten,  bruised  and  bloody,  and  flung  in  one  heap  of 
human  misery  in  the  yard  of  the  prison.  He  escaped, 
and  after  months  of  toil,  hunger  and  suffering,  which 
seemed  to  have  nearly  crazed  him,  he  found  an  Amer 
ican  ship,  and  succeeded  in  reaching  this  country.  I 
confess,  when  I  heard  him,  my  own  blood  boiled  and 
burned,  and  I  could  understand  how  men  in  despair 
might  be  driven  into  any  crime  that  would  end  their 
lives  and  their  miseries." 

"  This  is,  indeed,  interesting,"  said  the  General. 
"  But  true  progress  never  came  from  assassination.  It 
must  spring  from  intelligence  and  virtue.  The  con 
sciousness  of  mankind  must  always  array  itself  against 
secret  murder,  which  is  forbidden,  both  by  the  law  of 
man  and  by  the  law  of  God.  Whatever  is  right, 
that  is  surely  wrong.  Assassination  is  a  dastardly 
crime  and  can  bear  no  good  fruit." 

"Of  course,  I  agree  with  you,"  said  Edward.  "  Yet, 
we  cannot  wonder  that  our  thoughtless  and  ignorant 
workmen  are  misled  by  this  eloquent  maniac,  made 
such  by  tyranny.  Like  a  demon,  he  hungers  for  blood. 
He  flies  over  this  country  with  the  torch  of  a  fury, 
and  will  kindle  a  flame  difficult  to  extinguish. 
Indeed,  General,  my  only  hope  is  in  your  own  honest 
work.  The  best  answer  to  these  fanatics  is  in  the 
wisdom  and  benevolence  of  your  own  character,  and 
the  institutions  you  have  founded  for  the  good  of  the 
laborer.  The  storm  will  gather  most  violently  here, 
and  here  we  must  be  ready  to  break  its  force.  If 


THE    ANVIL. 


431 


we  can  conquer  here,  order  will  soon  be  established 
through  the  entire  country.  In  the  social  and  politi 
cal  freedom  of  our  Republic,  and  the  justice  and  phil 
anthropy  of  its  great  capitalists  is  to  be  found  the 
remedy  for  that  destruction  coveted  by  the  blind  and 
furious  Nihilists." 

These  three  men  now  parted,  feeling  that  they  were 
united  by  a  deathless  purpose,  conscious  that  their 
loyalty  to  truth  and  duty  would  soon  be  severely  tested, 
and  yet  believing  that  they  would  conquer,  and  in 
their  victory  achieve  a  triumph  for  their  country  and 
the  world. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

NAVAL  ACADEMY. 

S  the  Mermaid  with  all  sail  set  and 
a  spanking  breeze  stood  into  the 
Chesapeake,  Captain  Jolly  said  to 
Mr.  Rylance  : 

"I  promised   to   tell    you    about 
this  sea-business  and  now  I'll  do  it. 
I  have  been  followin'  it  some  years,    lull    and 
blow,   and  I  ought  to  know." 

"One  thing  I  must  confess,"  answered  Mr. 
Rylance;  "my  fears  for  your  discipline  were 
groundless.  A  sailor's  hoe-down,  danced  with 
Mrs.  Commodore,  Captain,  and  crew,  to  Tom 
Tar's  fiddle,  did  not  hinder  your  men  from  obeying 
orders  during  a  storm  and  bringing  your  ship  out  of 
great  peril.  The  fellows  could  not  have  behaved  better." 
"I'd  like  to  see  'em  do  anything  else.  Obey  orders! 
I  can  use  a  handspike  or  belayin'  pin  about  as  strong 
as  the  next  master,  if  they'd  dare  to  disobey  me. 
But  you  see  it's  seldom  necessary." 

"Well,    I    will    admit    at   the    outset,    that    you    and 

Mrs.  Jolly  in  the  fun,   with  old  Tom's    merry  face  and 

fiddle,  help  rather  than  harm  your  control  of  your  ship." 

"Look    back,    Mr.    Rylance,"    said  the  Captain;    and 


NAVAL    ACADEMY.  433 

.both  men  turned  and  gazed  over  the  stern  of  the  brig. 
"  See  out  there  on  that  ocean,  in  full  view,  twenty 
sail !  Nice  sight  sich  an  evenin' ;  no  cloud  to  tell  of 
storms  to-night ;  the  sun  shinin'  bright  on  yon  white 
canvas  ;  every  rag  out ;  jib  and  topsail,  and  sky  sail, 
and  all  bellyin'  in  the  breeze  !  Nothin'  in  a  sailor's 
eye  than  that  nearer  heaven.  That's  outside  !  Inside 
you  find  hell  afloat  in  nineteen  of  them  twenty.  I 
have  been  five  times  round  the  globe,  and  it's  the 
same  in  every  part  of  this  world.  Hell  in  the  'tother 
may  be  in  the  fire,  but  here  it's  on  the  water,  as  I 
know  from  seeing  it." 

'•You  surprise  me,  indeed,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Rylance. 
"I  have  shared  the  common  opinion  that  sailors  were 
just  the  j oiliest  fellows  living." 

"  Jolliest !"  he  replied,  "jolliest!  Yes!  after  a 
tough  voyage,  comin'  hungry  and  desperate  into  port, 
to  be  devoured  by  land-sharks,  who  leave  enough  to 
spend  for  two  days  on  bad  women  and  bad  whisky, 
and  then  dragged  back,  drunk,  in  chains,  for  another 
cruise,  where  they're  happy  as  devils,  for  that's  jest 
what  they've  been  made,  and  nothin'  else.  Their  mad 
frolics  drown  their  miseries." 

"I  am  astonished  more  and  more,"  said  Mr.  Rylance, 
"  at  your  picture ;  it  is  so  entirely  different  from  the 
popular  belief." 

"I  tell  you  again,"  burst  out  the  Captain,  "generally 
a  ship's  a  hell,  and  no  mistake.  Scarcely  a  master 
dares  show  himself  without  dirk  and  pistol,  or  stand 
a  minute  where  his  men  could  have  a  chance  to  pitch 


434  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

him    over    the   bulwarks    to    feed    the    fishes    for     not 
feedin'  his  crew." 

"  I    hope     you    will     explain    yourself,"    replied     Mr. 
Rylance.       "  You  are  quite  unintelligible  to  me." 

"All's  plain  in  two  words,"  replied  the  Captain, 
thrusting  his  rough  hands  deeper  into  his  great  pockets, 
and  rolling  his  quid  with  more  emphatic  fury — "  Over 
work  and  undergrub  !  There,  you  have  it !  With  the 
owners,  big  profits  make  poplar  captains.  Hence,  few 
men  and  poor  grub,  to  swell  the  ship's  earnin's  and 
please  the  big  wigs.  All  comes  out  of  limbs  and 
stomachs  of  the  crew.  Work  a  sailor  sixteen  hours  out 
of  twenty-four,  on  bad  pork,  spoiled  biscuit,  and  rye 
coffee,  with  no  appetizer  but  oaths  and  blows,  and  you 
don't  make  him  an  angel.  He's  ready  to  please  the 
devil  by  any  villainy,  but  first  of  all  by  givin'  the  captain 
to  the  sharks,  and  teachin'  him,  by  goin'  down  their 
maws,  his  moral  duty  to  feed  the  hungry.  It  stands  to 
natur' !  Overwork  and  undergrub  will  make  any  ship 
a  hell,  and  if  the  sailors  get  a  chance,  pitch  any  master 
to  the  fishes.  Give  your  men  good  tack,  sound  bacon, 
lively  coffee,  and  a  little  whisky  in  a  blow  to  keep  off 
rheumatics ;  let  'em  have,  on  a  fair  evenin',  a  jolly 
dance  to  jolly  music,  and,  at  the  right  time,  spice  'em 
with  any  other  fun,  and  sailors  will  die  for  their 
masters,  instead  of  flingin'  them  overboard.  You'll 
get  more  work  out  *cf  them,  besides,  and  they'll  thank 
you  for  lettin'  'em  do  it." 

"  I  think  you  have  sound  philosophy  on    your    side, 
Captain    Jolly,    and    I    am    perfectly    satisfied.       I    will 

^tobwu^e.    • 


\ 
NAVAL    ACADEMY  435 

never  fear  old  Tom's  fiddle,  nor  your  own  heels,  any 
more.  Innocent  frolic  relieves  the  monotony  of  the 
voyage,  and  preserves  sympathy  between  your  men 
and  yourself." 

"  So  the  owners  think,  now,"  said  the  captain,  with 
a  self -approving  smile  on  his  good-natured  face.  "I've 
converted  them.  At  first  they  growled,  and  swore 
Jack  Jolly  had  too  many  men  and  gave  'em  too 
expensive  grub ;  but  they've  learned  better,  and  now 
they  let  him  have  his  own  way ;  and  their  women 
will  visit  the  families  of  my  boys  when  they're  sick, 
and  send  them  a  Christmas  turkey,  and  that  makes 
good  feelin'  that  shows  itself  on  deck,  and  most  in 
many  a  hard  blow,  blusterin'  to  sink  us  in  the  sea." 

"  This  is  a  most  interesting  conversation,"  interposed 
Mr.  Rylance,  "full  of  manly  sense  and  right  feeling, 
and  I  will  never  forget  it,  I  assure  you." 

"Yes!  it's  true,"  replied  the  XJaptain;  "true  as  Gos 
pel.  You  must  send  honest  grub,  kind  hearts  and 
pleasant  words  afore  Bibles,  tracts  and  missionaries,  if 
you'd  convert  sailors.  Its  policy  after  all.  Not  a 
ship  in  New  York  harbor  pays  such  profits  as  this 
Mermaid." 

"I  most  sincerely  hope,"  replied  Mr.  Rylance,  ear 
nestly,  "that  you  will  convince  all  ship-owners  of  the 
truth  of  your  views.  It  would  work  a  mighty  change 
for  good."  *, 

"Yes!"  answered  Jolly,  "I  know  one  company  with 
a  fleet  of  twenty  ships,  employing  hundreds  of  men. 
The  President  lives  on  the  avenue  in  a  palace,  spends 


436  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

half  his  time  in  Europe,  as  if  America  was'nt  good 
enough,  and  got  great  reputation  by  building  a 
church.  But  his  sailors  are  worked  and  starved  into 
devils  to  pay  for  his  piety.  If  he'd  feed  his  men  bet 
ter,  and  drive  'em  less,  he'd  be  nearer  heaven,  accord 
ing  to  my  thinking.  Let  him  spend  less  on  his  palace 
and  build  a  hospital  for  the  poor  fellows  when  sick, 
old  and  broken,  and  the  Nihilists  wouldn't  make  half 
the  trouble  with  their  pisin  and  their  dynamite." 

Not  long  after  this  conversation,  when  the  Commo 
dore  and  the  Captain  were  in  the  cabin,  they  heard 
a  gentle  knock  at  the  door,  and  they  soon  admitted 
Tip  and  Lil,  who  looked  embarrassed.  Noticing  their 
modest  hesitation,  the  woman  said  : 

"Wai  !  don't  be  sceered  !  Speak  out  your  minds  ! 
Nothin'  so  dreadful  in  me  and  the  Captain." 

Thus  encouraged,   Tip  ventured  to  say  : 

"Captain,  I  have  heard  that  your  ship  stops  for 
repairs  at  Delaney,  the  next  port  on  the  bay.  I 
think  I  can  make  some  money  there,  if  you'll  let 
me." 

"Yes,  my  lad,  it's  true,  I'm  sorry  to  own," 
answered  Jolly.  "That  storm  tumbled  the  Mermaid 
considerable,  and  thumped  through  her  stomach  in  an 
unkind  way.  We  must  stop  the  cracks  or  she'll  take 
more  water  than's  good  for  her  digestion,  and  she 
may  sink  in  a  fit-  of  the  colic  in  the  next  blow  and 
carry  us  along  with  her  among  the  sharks.  We've 
got  to  stick  three  days  in  that  tobacco  hole  mendin' 
our  ways,  and  fixin'  up  for  another  noreaster." 


NAVAL    ACADEMY.  437 

"  Will  you  give  me  that  old  elastic  hose,  Captain 
Jolly?"  timidly  inquired  the  boy.  "  The  mate  says 
it's  useless,  and  I  can  make  money  out  of  it,  I'm 
sure." 

"  Money  out  of  it,"  exclaimed  Jolly,  in  astonish 
ment.  "It  wouldn't  sell  for  a  ship's  nail.  You 
might  as  well  try  to  get  a  cent  for  this  old  pipe  of 
mine  which  I  mean  to  toss  into  the  big  pond  when 
I  go  next  on  deck.  So  you  can  have  the  hose  in 
welcome,  and  if  you  can  make  a  copper  out  of  it, 
you  may  take  Jack  Jolly's  tarpaulin." 

"  Thank  you,  Captain;  thank  you  ever  so  much," 
replied  the  boy. 

"And  Mrs.  Commodore,"  interposed  Lil,  in  her  low 
musical  voice,  "  Tip  wants  three  pans  and  your 
gold  fish.  Won't  you  lend  them  to  him  to-morrow 
evening  ?  " 

"Pans  and  fish,"  cried  the  laughing  Jolly,  almost 
splitting  himself  with  his  merriment. 

"  Pans  and  fish,"  said  Mrs.  Commodore,  in  absolute 
dismay  and  bewilderment.  "  Don't  mean  to  have  a 
fry,  boy  ?  My  goldies  were  never  meant  to  be 
swallowed.  Can't  do  it,  Tip,  can't  do  it;  by  no 
means." 

Her  gold  fish  gilded  the  childless  life  of  the  Com 
modore  into  all  the  poetry  it  ever  knew.  An  expen 
sive  and  splendid  glass  globe  was  their  home,  so 
suspended  as  to  swing  with  the  ship  and  avoid  the 
motion  of  the  sea.  There  now  sported  the  glittering 
creatures  !  One  was  gliding  around  the  vessel,  another 


438  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

was  panting  at  the  surface,  a  third  on  balanced  fin 
was  in  the  middle,  while  the  fourth,  apparently  fright 
ened,  was  swimming  swiftly  round  with  his  gold  flash 
ing  and  his  crimson  flushing  in  the  brilliant  beams  of 
the  morning  sun  which  poured  down  from  a  sky-light. 
Perhaps  this  alarmed  fish  had  understood  the  conver 
sation,  or  had  a  prescience  of  the  adventurous  change 
of  habits  for  which  he  was  solicited,  and  was  therefore 
seeking  flight. 

Looking  at  her  beautiful  pets  displaying  their  glories 
in  that  swinging  globe,  we  cannot  wonder  at  the  sur 
prise  of  the  Commodore.  After  her  blank  and  indignant 
refusal,  all  was  embarrassed  silence  until,  recovering 
her  faculties,  she  again  exclaimed  : 

"Pans  and  fish!  You  little  rascal,  would  you  break 
fast  on  these  beauties,  and  smack  your  lips  over  them  ? 
I'll  see  you  to  the  bottom  first." 

"Oh,  Mrs.  Commodore,"  interposed  Lil,  at  once 
amused  and  alarmed;  "Tip  won't  hurt  your  fish.  You 
don't  understand  him.  Please  wait  until  he  explains. 
He'll  make  more  gold  out  of  your  fish  than  is  shining 
on  their  scales." 

"Yes!"  said  Captain  Jack,  always  happy  in  the 
atmosphere  of  a  joke  and  ready  to  help  it  on,  "  that's 
fair.  Mrs.  Commodore  mustn't  smell  frying  pans  too 
soon.  Tell  us,  lad,  jest  what  you  want." 

"If  the  Mermaid  stops  for  repairs  a  few  days  at 
Delaney,"  answered  Tip,  persuasively,  "I  want  an 
exhibition  for  Lil  and  me.  She'll  dance  on  the  rope, 
sing  and  play,  and  I'll  perform  my  tricks,  and  so 


NAVAL    ACADEMY.  43$ 

we'll  make  a  lot  of  money,  and  give  you  and  the  crew 
a  half." 

"A  fair  offer,"  replied  the  Captain;  "but  afore  I 
agree,  I  want  to  know  what  you  propose  with  them 
hose,  pans  and  gold  fish." 

"  If  you'll  let  me  get  the  hose  and  the  pans,  I'll 
soon  show  you,"  said  Tip,  running  eagerly  to  the 
door  and  speedily  returning  with  the  articles  in 
question. 

"You  see,"  he  resumed,  "these  three  pans  are  of 
different  sizes,  so  that  one  fits  in  another,  and  I  can 
hold  them  all  under  my  left  arm.  The  hose  I'll  cut 
into  three  pieces  and  wind  each  piece  around  my  body, 
and  have  for  each  a  stopper  I  can  pull  out.  I  will  fill 
all  of  them  with  water,  and  in  one  will  put  the  gold 
fish,  and  over  all  wear  my  magician's  gown.  Then  I'll 
stand  out  on  the  platform,  away  from  every  person, 
and  take  out  the  stopper  from  the  first  hose,  and  let 
the  water  into  my  pan,  and  show  it  to  the  people. 
I'll  do  the  same  with  the  second  pan  and  hose,  and 
the  third  time  I'll  bring  out  the  gold  fish,  and  I  know 
they'll  clap  me  and  pay  me  well." 

"Fust  rate!"  burst  out  the  captain.  "That  trick  '11 
bring  you  into  port,  and  sell  your  cargo  beside  for 
ready  cash.  We'll  advartis  you  well,  and  get  all  the 
town  to  see  your  performance,  and  help  you,  too,  our 
selves. 

"But,"  said  Lil,  in  her  most* winning  tones  and 
with  her  sweetest  looks,  "Tip  wants,  too,  the  Com 
modore's  tame  rabbits,  one  of  her  ducks,  lots  of  eggs, 


44:0  KNIGHTS    OF   LABOR. 

some  cabbages,  carrots,  and  ever  so  many  more 
things." 

"Why,  you're  crazy  as  porpoises  afore  a  storm/' 
exclaimed  Mrs.  Jolly,  in  astonishment  and  consterna 
tion,  "when  they  jump  out  of  the  sea,  because  they 
can't  stay  in,  and  behave  like  ocean-lunies." 

"And,  Captain  Jolly,"  said  Tip,  kindled  with  the 
enthusiasm  of  his  profession ;  "  I'll  want  that  old  cup 
board,  and  the  carpenter  to  fix  it,  and  the  Mermaid's 
swivel,  too  ! " 

"Stop,  lad,  stop!"  cried  the  Captain;  "don't  you 
want  my  masts  and  anchors  ?  P'r'aps  you'll  take 
me,  too.  Better  ask  for  the  Mermaid,  crew,  cargo, 
and  good- will  of  the  craft." 

"Oh,  you're  the  head  of  the  ship,"  said  Lil,  laugh 
ing;  "it  wouldn't  do  to  take  away  the  head,  for  that 
would  kill  everything." 

"Head,"  replied  the  Commodore,  with  a  feminine 
sneer.  "Head!  yes!  figger-head  !  I'm  the  rale  thing." 

"The  Captain  masters  the  ship,  and  the  Commodore 
masters  the  Captain,"  said  Jolly,  with  a  merry,  ringing 
laugh. 

However,  it  was  all  at  last  arranged,  and  Tip  had 
his  own  way,  and  was  soon  the  soul  of  the  occasion. 
Mr.  Rylance  also  came  into  the  spirit  of  the  sport,  and 
everything  on  the  Mermaid  was  in  preparation  for  the 
novel  exhibition  in  Delaney. 

How  marvelous  t^is  mastery  of  genius  !  How  every 
thing  submits  to  its  sway !  How  it  multiplies  and 
glorifies  into  success  the  few  and  mean  agencies  around 


NAVAL    ACADEMY.  441 

it !  Tip  was  endued  with  the  gifts  of  his  race,  and  had 
improved  them  by  three  times  seeing  the  performances 
of  the  famous  Hermann,  and  meditating  on  his  observa 
tions  until  he  felt  in  himself  the  power  to  accomplish. 
His  quick  glance  seized  his  opportunity,  and  the  Mer 
maid — Commodore,  Captain,  crew,  passengers,  and  every 
thing  on  board— was  suddenly  transformed  into  a  place 
of  preparation  for  the  coming  exhibition,  while,  amid 
all,  this  mere  lad  was  the  acknowledged  director, 
imparting  to  every  movement  intelligence  and  enthu 
siasm. 

When  the  Mermaid  touched  the  port  of  Delaney, 
Mr.  Rylance,  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  the  young 
leader,  immediately  went  ashore,  secured  a  large  tobacco- 
warehouse  for  the  exhibition,  had  advertisements  inserted 
in  the  paper,  and  posted  through  town  and  country,  and 
thus  contributed  all  in  his  power  to  the  success  of  the 
novel  enterprise. 

When  the  eventful  day  arrived,  many  mysterious 
articles  were  carried,  with  various  concealments,  by  the 
sailors  through  the  village,  and  thus  increased  the  public 
expectancy.  At  last,  the  hour  appointed  comes.  The 
streets  swarm  with  people.  Both  town  and  country 
swell  the  crowd.  Every  seat  is  taken,  and  the  large 
building  packed. 

Tip  and  Lil  first  performed  on  guitar  and  harp,  and 
then  united  in  a  song  with  an  accompaniment  on  their 
instruments.  Bursts  of  rude  applause  gave  token  of 
complete  success.  Next,  the  youthful  magician  retired 
a  moment  behind  the  screen,  and  then  introduced 


442  KNIGHTS    OF   LABOR. 

himself  by  a  brief  speech,  at  once  modest  and  amusing. 
Attired  with  his  loose  gown,  with  his  glittering  eye 
and  bright  face,  he  soon  brought  all  under  his  spell. 
He  took  packs  of  cards  from  the  mouths,  noses,  sleeves 
and  pantaloons  of  astounded  rustics.  He  cooked  an 
omolette  in  his  hat,  and  drew  out  of  it  eggs,  turnips, 
cabbages,  strewn  and  piled  on  the  floor,  and  finally 
the  two  white  rabbits  of  the  Commodore,  who  sat  laugh 
ing  and  clapping  in  uproarious  excitement,  while  Cap 
tain  Jolly  himself  seemed  one  broad  grin  of  pleasure. 
Now,  from  the  same  small  but  exhaustless  receptacle, 
Tip  unrolled  scores  of  yards  of  telegraph  paper,  and  out 
from  the  whirl  of  the  confusing  circles  leaped  the  old 
duck  which  had  quacked  and  waddled  over  the  deck  of 
the  Mermaid.  When  the  lad,  standing  by  himself, 
produced  the  three  pans  of  water  from  his  person,  the 
last  containing  the  gold-fish  swimming  around  in  their 
unconscious  beauty,  the  spectators  were  dumb  in  their 
amazement. 

Tip  then  pointed  to  the  cupboard  on  the  rear  of  the 
stage,  exclaiming  : 

"See  that!  Look  under  it!  Its  legs  are  just  three 
feet  high.  No  man  can  get  out  of  it,  and  you  not  see 
him.  I'll  turn  it  round.  Examine  it  well  !  Tom  Tar, 
come  forward !  Here  you  are !  Ivory  set  in  ebony ! 
Jump  in,  old  Africa  !  All  safe  !  Light  as  a  sugar-cask 
in  a  Maryland  pantry !  Can  no  more  get  out  than 
cousin  monkey  caged  with  his  happy  family." 

While  Tip  continued  in  this  vein,  Tom  ran  grinning 
through  the  front  door  and  down  the  aisle,  and  leaping 


NAVAL    ACADEMY.  443 

on  the  platform,  waived  his  old  tarpaulin  amid  the 
cheers  of  the  astonished  people.  He  had  emerged 
through  a  secret  door  in  the  back  of  the  cupboard, 
slid  along  a  board  concealing  him  from  view,  and 
climbing  out  a  window,  soon  made  his  appearance,  as 
we  have  described. 

When  the  applause  had  subsided,  Tip  came  grace 
fully  forward  and  began  again  : 

"Now  for  the  best  of  the  evening!  Here's  a  hat 
taken  from  Captain  Jolly's  head  !  Look  at  it !  I  tear 
it  in  pieces  !  Captain,  I  ram  your  property,  bit-by-bit 
into  the  Mermaid's  cannon !  All  is  down !  I  point 
the  gun  upward !  Look  well !  I  swing  round  this 
lighted  coal !  One  !  two  !  three  !  fire  !  Explodes  like 
thunder !  Captain  Jolly  !  Look  aloft !  Your  hat  is 
hanging  on  yon  roof,  and  I'll  send  up  Tom  Tar  to 
bring  it  down." 

Tip  had  dexterously  substituted  another  hat  for  that 
given  him  by  the  Mermaid's  master,  and  while  occupying 
the  attention  of  the  people,  one  of  the  sailors  had 
conveyed  the  real  article  by  an  outside  ladder  to  the 
roof  of  the  building,  and  hung  it  on  the  inside  by 
means  of  a  small  trap  door. 

Lil  now  made  her  appearance  in  her  brilliant 
costume,  sang,  danced,  tumbled,  and  then  ran  up  and 
down  a  rope  stretched  from  the  floor  to  the  roof  of  the 
building,  balancing  herself  with  her  pole,  and  displaying 
her  exquisite  grace  and  agility,  until  she  seemed  to 
those  wondering  spectators  like  a  celestial  visitant  sent 
.at  once  to  delight  and  astonish  their  favored  village. 


444  KNIGHTS    OF   LABOR. 

Mr.  Rylance  concluded  the  evening  by  reciting  a 
poem  written  for  the  occasion,  and  which  excited  roars 
of  laughter  and  thunders  of  rude  approbation. 

A   political   menagerie    of   beasts,    both    tame    and    wild, 
I'll  show  now   to   the   public   which   here   on   me   has  smiled; 
Lo,   from   every   land   and   clime   the   curious   creatures   come, 
And   all   so   very   hungry,    and    most   so   very   dumb. 

See!     Appears  the  Eel   Political,    which   can  so  turn  and  twist, 
Which   slips   out   from   your   fingers,    and  glides   e'en   from    your  fist. 
And  when  the  fellow's  peel'd  and  skinn'd  he  wriggles  in  the  pot, 
Both  squirming  when  he's  living  and  squirming  when  he's  not. 

The  Political  Hyena,  like  his  brother,  o'er  a  grave 
Will  he  scent  the  flesh  he  wants  below,  and  looks  so  very  brave! 
How  fierce  and  shrill  his  midnight  yell!  what  flashes  in  his  eyel 
But  let  the  daylight  on  his  bone,  and  see  the  coward  fly ! 

Next,  Political  the  Peacock,  why  aloft  his  tail  in  air; 

Because  the  gaping  people  will  at  his  colors  stare. 

He  struts  and  spreads  his  feathers,  and  he  looks,  so  proud  and  fine, 

And  all  to  show  the  stolen  hues  that  in  his  plumage  shine. 

And  the  wily  Snake  Political,  a  serpent  in  the  grass, 
Which  even  in  republics  will  wind  and  twist,  alas ! 
You  think  his  glitter  beautiful,  'till,  with  a  glare  and  hiss, 
He  darts  out  swift  his  poison-fang,  and  seldom  makes  a  miss. 

Oh!     Political,  the  Lion,  he  will  fare  the  very  worst; 

His  nature,  so  magnanimous,  e'en  seems  to  make  him  curst; 

Since,  in  their  fury,  will  the  wild  beasts,  rush  on  him,  yell  and  bite, 

'Till  sinks  their  king  majestic,  just  weary  of  the  fight. 


NAVAL    ACADEMY.  445 

And  Political,  the  People,  are  ye  like  the  ass  or  mule, 
That  such  a  mean  and  filthy  crew  forever  you  befool? 
Oh,  Political,  the  People,  be  ye  wise,  and  hencefoith  show 
That  ye  citizens  are  men,  and  not  like  brutes  below! 

When  her  repairs  had  been  completed,  the  Mermaid 
sailed  before  a  splendid  breeze  between  the  shores  of 
the  exquisite  Chesapeake.  On  the  second  day  from 
Delaney  she  entered  the  lovely  Severn  to  touch  at 
Annapolis.  It  was  evening  and  the  light  had  just 
began  to  flash  over  the  waves  from  Greensbury  Point, 
while  Tolley's  Point  reflected  the  golden  glory  of  the 
west.  Far  up  the  river,  the  bordering  hills  of  Round 
Bay  were  tinged  with  a  scarce  visible  purple.  One 
by  one,  the  gas-lamps  began  to  gleam  from  the  streets 
of  the  ancient  Capital  of  Maryland  and  from  among 
the  trees  on  the  charming  grounds  of  the  Naval 
Academy.  Over  all  was  seen  the  bright  face  of  the 
old  clock,  and,  owing  to  a  lull  in  the  wind,  nine 
strokes  from  its  slow  and  solemn  hammer  pealed  over 
the  waters  before  the  Mermaid  was  out  of  the  Chesa 
peake.  Now,  above  the  blue  misty  shores  of  Kent 
Island  rose,  in  full  glory,  the  circle  of  the  moon,  flinging 
her  soft  radiance  over  the  dancing  waves,  and,  when 
slightly  obscured  by  a  thin  white  cloud,  leaving  here 
and  there  patches  of  brilliant  light,  through  which 
would  glide  into  the  gloom  a  silent,  ghostly  sail. 

Mr.  Rylance,  Tip  and  Lil  bade  farewell  to  the 
Commodore,  Captain  and  crew  of  the  Mermaid,  and 
were  rowed  by  two  lusty  fellows  to  the  pier  of  the 
Naval  Academy.  Just  as  they  disembarked  a  man 


446  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

emerged  from  the  shadow,  and  gazed  curiously  and 
earnest] y  at  the  company.  Apparently  satisfied  with 
his  observations,  he  advanced  toward  them  saying  : 

"Ry lance,   is    this  you?" 

"Rob  Sheldon,  glad  to  see  you,"  he  replied,  extending 
his  hand  and  grasping  that  of  his  friend. 

"All  well  at  home?"  inquired  Rob,  in  a  subdued 
voice. 

"Yes!  when  I  saw  them  two  weeks  since,"  replied 
Mr.  Rylance,  also  in  a  whisper.  "Did  you  get  my 
note?" 

"What  else  brought  me  here,  old  fellow?"  answered 
Rob,  with  a  low  laugh.  "At  your  old  tricks!  Never 
thought  you  would  be  after  this  sort  of  fun  with  your 
sheepskin  in  your  pocket." 

"This  is  my  last  chance,  Rob,"  said  Rylance.  "After 
this  I  will  reform,  and  stop  playing  the  boy.  I  thought 
I  would  have  one  more,  and  I  knew  you  were  ready 
for  it." 

"All  right,"  whispered  Rob.  "Will  this  boy  and 
girl  do  ?  A  mistake  would  explode  us  like  a  bursted 
Parrott.  You  have  told  them  what  to  do." 

"  Yes,"  said  Rylance,  "just  as  I  explained  in  the 
letter.  All  is  arranged.  You  may  rely  on  them.  They 
gave  a  wonderful  performance  at  Delaney." 

At  this  moment  the  boom  of  the  evening  gun 
rolled  over  the  waters,  up  the  Severn,  and  down  toward 
the  Chesapeake,  and,  thundering  and  reverberating,  told 
the  people  on  the  Eastern  Shore,  thirty  miles  away, 
that  the  pointers  on  the  face  of  the  Naval  Academy 

_* 


NAVAL    ACADEMY.  447 

clock  indicated  the  hour  of  half-past  nine.  Scarcely 
had  the  report  died  into  silence  when  a  blaze  of 
illumination  burst  from  the  trees  and  buildings  on 
the  grounds,  and  streamed  into  the  sky,  and  flashed 
far  over  the  sparkling  waves.  Then  the  glad  music  of 
the  band  proclaimed  that  over  the  floor  of  the  old 
Gymnasium  were  the  whirling  forms  of  hundreds  of  gay 
dancers  assembled  from  every  part  of  the  land  for  the 
grand  occasion  of  the  June  Ball. 

"Come  with  me,"  said  Rob  Sheldon  to  Tip  and  Lil, 
who,  arrayed  in  their  most  brilliant  costumes,  stood  in 
the  light  of  the  moon  with  harp  and  guitar,  and  their 
mysterious  box,  awaiting  orders.  "You  must  do  just 
as  I  tell  you,"  he  added,  as  the  party  walked  along  the 
sea-wall  road  to  the  armory,  under  whose  shadows  they 
halted.  Kob,  in  a  low  voice,  gave  the  most  minute 
instructions  to  the  young  performers,  and,  as  the  music 
was  about  to  cease,  he  proceeded  with  them  to  the  door 
of  the  Gymnasium,  which  was  always  used  for  these 
annual  brilliant  festive  occasions. 

Our  young  cadet  midshipman,  as  the  dancing  ceased, 
escorted  Tip  and  Lil  up  the  stair  and  within  the  splendid 
room  with  the  most  business-like  sincerity.  He  and 
they  stood  unabashed  in  the  blaze  of  the  assemblage, 
where  appeared  the  President  of  the  Republic,  the 
members  of  the  cabinet,  foreign  ambassadors  in  their 
jeweled  magnificence,  and  foreign  generals  in  the  glitter 
of  their  orders,  military  and  naval  officers  of  the 
republic  in  their  crimson  scarfs  and  gold  epaulettes, 
and  the  beauty  of  the  land  smiling  and  beaming  with 


448  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

gems  and  grace  and  joy,  and  inspiring  an  enthusiasm 
of  admiration. 

Tip  and  Lil  were  now  left  to  their  own  resources. 
The  company  supposed  them  in  disguise,  and  a  part  of 
the  performance  and  their  appearance  excited  surprise 
and  pleasure.  Inspired  by  the  brilliant  scene,  they 
played  and  sang  with  unusual  beauty  and  power.  Lil 
danced  on  her  rope  with  more  than  her  ordinary  grace, 
and,  poised  in  mid-air,  really  appeared  some  angelic 
shape,  sent  to  awaken  celestial  thoughts  in  this 
terrestrial  sphere. 

The  strange  performance  closed,  amid  the  wildest 
applause,  by  an  ode  composed  by  Mr.  Rylance,  and 
sung  by  Tip  and  Lil,  with  harp  and  guitar : 

Hurrah!       Our   stars   are   o'er   the   seaj 

Yon    flag   our   sires   unfurled ! 
They   shed   their   blood  for  it,    that  we 

Might  bear   it  o'er   the   world. 

Hurrah!       Our   stars   gleam   from    our   mast! 

Our   foemen    we    defy !  0 

'Mid   tempest   rage,   with   skies   o'ercast, 

Our   banner   still   shall   fly ! 

Hurrah !       Our   stars   shall    guard    our   ship, 

And   shine   by   day   and   night! 
Let  triumph   burst  from    every    lip, 

Since    Heaven    helps  freemen   fight! 

Hurrah!       Our   stars   beam   o'er   the   free! 

Our   banner   floats   for   them! 

i 
A  sign   to   earth   of  liberty, 

And   every    staj   a   gem ! 


NAVAL  ACADEMY. 

Hurrah !       Our   stars   o'er   sailors   wave, 
Whose   blood   in   death   shall  flow ! 

Hurrah!       Our   thunders   Freedom  save! 
Our  hearts  with   Freedom   glow! 

Hurrah !     hurrah !       Men  of  the  sea ! 

What  glories   in   our  past! 
What   ocean-heroes   bled,    that   we 

Might  make   those   glories  last! 


449 


CHAPTER  X. 

FADED     BEAUTY, 

HAT  sadder  than  a  faded  rose ! 
Bloom  gone,  fragrance  vanished, 
its  little  day  of  beauty  passed 
forever  !  One  thing  is  sadder. 
A  faded  heart !  Especially  a 
heart  faded  in  its  youth.  The 
color  taken  prematurely  from  the  cheek  and 
the  light  from  the  .  soul !  Burdens,  intol 
erable  for  age,  weighing  on  young  years ! 
Hope  dead !  Joy  fled !  A  sigh  on  the  lip 
and  in  the  look  hollow  despair  !  Pressing  on 
the  conscience  a  leaden  weight,  and  piercing 
it  a  poison-sting !  Each  glance  on  friends,  yet 
unconscious  of  the  coming  blot,  a  keen  anguish. 
Tears  on  the  pillow !  Sleepless  nights  and  torturing 
days,  and  the  dull  dread  of  worse  miseries !  Clouds 
over  the  whole  horizon  of  the  spirit,  and  all  this  agony 
succeeding  a  brilliant  dream  of  pleasure,  where  every 
pulse  was  joy,  every  breath  an  exhilaration,  every  sen 
sation  a  thrill  of  delight,  and  every  vision  bright  with 
the  morning  hues  of  hope  and  health. 

What   a    change    in    Belle    Standfast !     Care    on    her 
brow,   her  face  thin,   her  cheek  pale,  her  limbs   relaxed, 


FADED    BEAUTY.  451 

and  out  of  her  voice  that  tone  which  fell  on  the  ear 
with  pleasure,  and  brought  a  smile  to  the  lip,  and 
light  into  the  eye,  and  shed  a  magnetic  joy  over  every 
circle  in  which  she  moved.  Her  family  wonder,  and 
her  friends  fear,  and  her  enemies  shake  their  heads 
with  a  malignancy  of  suspicion. 

Belle  had  an  engagement  with  Walter  Sparker  for 
one  more  gay  night  at  the  opera,  in  New  York.  But 
there  was  no  bright  anticipation  of  pleasure.  She 
rushed  in  the  splendid  car,  rather  as  a  garlanded 
victim  was  taken  to  the  ancient  altar.  Suddenly,  the 
paint  had  disappeared  from  the  faces  of  the  performers, 
who  stalked  like  the  phantoms  of  a  troubled  dream. 
The  most  exquisite  music  had  a  mocking  sound,  and 
the  very  lights  burned  with  a  hideous  and  blinding 
glare.  Walter  Sparker,  in  the  midst  of  the  scene, 
seemed  the  genius  of  ruin  who  had  wrought  the  terrific 
metamorphis. 

As  the  train  went  thundering  forward  over  the  rails, 
Belle  felt  her  lips  sealed.  There  was  a  benumbing 
coldness  in  her  heart,  although  her  face  was  red  and 
flushed.  She  could  not  lift  her  eyes.  Even  with  the 
color  in  her  cheek,  she  looked  like  a  beautiful  corpse. 

Walter  Sparker  took  from  his  pocket  a  small  case, 
richly  ornamented,  and,  opening  it,  held  before  her  eyes 
a  locket,  sparkling  with  gems.  Even  gold  and  brilliants 
flashed  in  vain  She  felt  that  it  would  have  been  as 
suitable  to  dangle  them  over  a  grave. 

"Here,  Belle,"  said  Walter,  gaily,  "is  a  present. 
Isn't  it  a  beauty  ? " 


452  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

Pearl  and  diamond  glittering  in  the  light  awoke  no 
response.  At  last,  she  exclaimed,  slowly,  and  with 
painful  effort : 

"Take  it  away,   Walter!    I  don't  want  it." 
"Don't  want  it!"  he  said,  with  surprise.       "What  do 
you  mean  ?     You  must    be  somebody  else." 

"I  am  somebody  else,  Walter,"  she  replied,  with  an 
infinite  sadness  in  her  tone.  "  You  have  made  me 
somebody  else.  Belle  Standfast  is  no  more.  That 
locket  burns  my  eyes.  Put  it  away ! "  she  added, 
passionately,  "put  it  away!" 

"But,  Belle,"  he  said,  with  great  tenderness  in  his 
persuasive  tone,  "  let  me  hang  it  around  your  neck ! 
Wear  it  for  my  sake ! " 

He  placed  the  bright  bauble  about  her  neck,  and 
kissed  her,  and  played  with  her  ringlets,  and  she 
submitted  as  a  lamb  to  the  flower-wreath  that  decks 
it  for  its  death.  Perceiving  her  suffering,  he  in 
quired,  with  alarm  : 

"Belle,  what  ails  you?  Your  lips  are  cold  as  ice, 
and  your  cheek  as  pale  as  death." 

"I  am  worse  than  dead,  Walter,"  she  answered, 
with  a  torrent  of  hot  tears.  "I  wish  I  could  die.  I 
long  to  be  in  my  grave.  I  feel  like  a  living  corpse 
that  ought  to  be  buried  out  of  sight.  I  am  ruined — 
father,  mother,  all  are  ruined— ruined,  Walter,  ruined." 

As  she  concluded  these  words,  she  wrung  her  hands 
in  agony,  and  fell  back  on  the  seat  as  if  the  life  had 
really  gone  out  of  her  body. 

Walter  Sparker  now    began    to    realize    the    anguish 


FADED    BEAUTY.  453 

he  had  caused.  The  first  dark  shadow  from  the  future 
had  fallen  around  him.  A  thorn  suddenly  started  from 
his  bed  of  roses  to  pierce  quivering  into  his  flesh. 
Out  from  the  light  and  music  of  his  dream  of  joy  was 
this  voice  of  woe !  He  ran  for  water ;  he  moistened 
the  lips  of  the  girl,  he  bathed  her  temples,  he  whis 
pered  words  of  love  and  encouragement,  and  as  these 
fell  on  her  ear,  a  languid  smile  began  to  play  over 
her  features,  and  hope  to  spring  anew  in  her  breast. 
She  looked  at  him  long,  in  silence,  and,  at  last,  said 
faintly,  and  with  a  tone  of  mild  reproof  : 

"Walter,  you  never  promised.     I  took  all  for  granted. 
Save    me!"    she    burst    out,     with    the    beseeching     of 
despair.     "Save  me,  Walter;   save  me  !    Save  my  father!' 
Save  my   mother !      Save    us    all    from    disgrace    worse- 
than  death!" 

The  man  was  moved  in  his  inmost  soul.  All  that- 
was  best  in  him  was  touched  by  this  pleading  girl. 
His  lips  were  preparing  to  make  the  irrevocable  vow. 
Oh,  Heaven,  that  such  a  resolution  should  be  suffered 
to  yield  before  a  temptation  suddenly  presented ;  that 
human  frailty  should  be  so  beset  with  fatal  snares, 
that  even  a  virtuous  endeavor  in  a  feeble  soul  should. 
be  stifled  by  the  breath  of  blasting  evil ! 

At  the  instant  when  the  binding  word  would  have 
been  spoken,  Walter  Sparker,  turning  his  face,  saw 
Edward  Stewart  looking  through  the  window  in  the 
car-door.  The  eye  of  his  foe  waked  in  him  all  that 
was  bad.  A  sudden  revulsion  passed  over  him.  His 
good  resolution  died  out  of  his  heart,  and  his  promise 


454  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

faltered  on  his  lips.  He  replied,  with  a  carelesa, 
defiant  air  : 

"Belle,  I'll  think  about  it.  I  am  going  away  for 
about  two  weeks,  and  when  I  come  back,  I'll  give 
you  my  answer." 

She  sprang  at  him  with  passionate  energy,  and 
struck  him  in  the  face  a  stinging  blow. 

"You  don't  mean  it,  Walter  Sparker !  You  can't 
mean  it !  Are  you  a  villain  ?  Have  you  intended 
my  ruin  ?  The  mask  is  falling  off.  I  see  into  your 
heart.  You  have  taken  the  honey  from  the  flower, 
and  now  do  you  fling  it  down  and  trample  it  under 
your  feet?  Oh,  God,  how  I  have  been  deceived,  deluded, 
destroyed !  Take  care,  or  you  will  wake  murder  in 
me.  A  bullet  will  fly  to  your  heart,  or  to  mine,  or 
to  both.  If  you  do  not  promise,  blood  will  flow,  and 
death  will  be  in  your  crime." 

Walter  was  frightened  at  the  outburst.  He  never 
dreamed  that  such  a  tempest  could  be  evoked  from  so 
frail  and  joyous  a  creature.  In  his  surprise  and  alarm, 
he  changed  his  manner,  and,  by  persuasive  looks  and 
tones,  succeeded  in  calming  the  storm  he  had  excited, 
so  that  Belle,  inspired  by  hope,  witnessed  the  opera 
almost  with  her  usual  interest,  and  returned  to  her 
home  in  part  relieved  of  her  oppressive  fear. 

Edward  Stewart  had  come  from  the  city  in  the 
same  train  with  Walter  and  Belle.  After  retiring,  he 
felt  on  his  heart  an  inexpressible  weight.  A  nervous 
dread  spread  a  cloud  over  his  soul.  He  tossed  as  in 
a  fever  during  long  and  weary  hours,  and  often  rose 


FADED    BEAUTY.  4*5 

and  gazed  from  the  window.  The  cold  moon  mocked 
him,  the  stars  glittered  serenely  over  his  distress,  the 
summer  air  seemed  stifling,  and  the  midnight  hush  of 
nature  grew  insupportable.  In  the  morning  he  walked 
forth  with  the  dawn  to  calm  his  soul  in  the  breath  of 
the  dewy  air  and  the  beams  of  the  young  sun.  The 
very  joy  of  the  earth  -and  the  sky  was  saddening. 
As  he  wandered  near  General  Sparker's  house,  Walter 
came  out  with  his  satchel  in  his  hand,  evidently 
prepared  for  a  journey,  and,  absorbed  in  his  thoughts, 
encountered  Edward  on  a  narrow  path  in  a  clump  of 
trees,  while  pressing  hurriedly  to  the  station.  The  two 
men  were  startled  as  they  thus  unexpectedly  confronted 
each  other.  Walter  flushed  crimson  with  his  anger, 
and  flinging  his  satchel  on  the  ground,  said,  in  a  low, 
fierce  voice, 

"Stewart,  you  are  a  spy." 

"What  do  you  mean,  Mr.  Sparker?"  inquired  Edward, 
in  astonishment. 

"Mean!  I  mean  what  I  say!"  cried  Walter.  "I 
curse  you  and  brand  you  as  a  contemptible  spy ! " 

"  Have  a  care,  sir ! "  said  Edward,  excitedly.  "  I 
will  not  bear  much  more.  For  your  father's  sake,  I  will 
endure  this,  but  you  must  not  repeat  those  words.  I  say 
you  must  not." 

"For  my  father's  sake!"  said  Walter,  kindling  into 
increased  rage.  "Have  you  not  alienated  my  father 
from  me  ?  Are  you  not  closeted  with  him  every  day  ? 
Have  you  not  tricked  me  out  of  his  heart  ?  Am  I 
not  almost  banished  from  my  home  by  your  disgusting 


456  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

presence  ?  I  hate  you !  I  dare  you  I  I  curse  you ! 
You  are  a  spy!" 

"Mr.  Sparker,"  replied  Edward,  with  an  indignation 
almost  beyond  his  control,  "I  never  sought  your  father. 
He  always  sends  for  me.  I  have  used  no  mean  arts 
to  gain  his  esteem,  and  you  know  it.  I  will  bear 
these  insults  as  long  as  I  can,  but  you  must  beware  ! 
There  is  a  limit  beyond  which  my  manhood  will  not 
suffer  you  to  pass." 

"Your  manhood,  Stewart!"  answered  Walter,  taunt 
ingly.  "Your  manhood,  indeed!  You  are  a  coward 
as  well  as  a  spy.  Did  you  not  peep  into  the  window 
of  my  car  last  night,  and  see  what  you  had  no  right 
to  ?  Answer  me  that  ?  " 

"  I  was  late,  ran  for  the  train,  and  in  my  haste 
mistook  the  car,  and  tried  to  get  in  yours,"  said 
Edward,  with  attempted  calmness.  "I  saw  you  hang 
a  necklace  around  Miss  Standfast's  neck  and  kiss  her, 
and  was  sorry  for  the  sight." 

"I  said,  Stewart,"  cried  Walter,  "that  you  were  a 
spy  and  a  coward,  and  now  I  add  that  you  are  a 
liar." 

Edward  shook  with  anger.  His  black  eye  shot  fire. 
Again  and  again  he  lifted  his  arm  and  brought  it  to 
his  side.  At  last,  with  a  powerful  exertion,  he  was 
able  to  say : 

"Mr.  Sparker,  I  want  no  trouble.  I  will  bid  you 
good  morning.  You  have  my  explanation,  if  you 
choose,  my  apology.  With  that  you  must  be  satisfied." 

"  You  cannot  escape  in  this  way ! "  shrieked  Walter, 


FADED    BEAUTY.  457 

flinging  himself  before  Edward  as  he  began  to  move 
forward,  and  pulling  his  nose,  and  striking  a  staggering 
blow.  Stewart  instantly  recovered  himself,  and  running 
against  his  antagonist,  hit  him  in  the  forehead  with 
all  the  concentrated  energy  of  his  young  manhood, 
aroused  at  last  into  frantic  fury. 

Walter  Sparker  fell  to  the  ground  with  a  quivering 
and  convulsed  motion  of  the  limbs,  while  the  blood 
poured  forth  in  red  streams  from  his  lips  and  temple. 
His  face  soon  had  the  pallor  of  a  corpse.  He  ceased 
to  breathe,  and  seemed  to  be  dead.  Edward  knelt 
beside  him  in  agony,  placed  his  cheek  to  his  lips,  felt 
his  pulse,  and  then  ran  to  a  spring,  and  filling  his  hat 
with  water,  sprinkled  the  face  of  the  apparently  lifeless 
man.  Had  he  killed  the  son  of  his  friend  ?  Was 
human  blood  to  be  a  spot  on  his  life  ?  Would  he  be 
to  himself  an  eternal  reproach  and  an  exile  from  his 
home  and  country  ?  All  rushed  before  him  in  a 
picture  of  flame,  like  the  glare  of  a  hideous  vision. 
When  stooping  his  head  he  heard  a  faint  whisper : 
"Take  me  home.  Say  I  fell.  Send  for  a  doctor." 
It  was  enough.  Walter  lived.  It  was  for  Stewart 
now  to  preserve  the  vital  spark,  and  save  from  ruin 
an  everlasting  spirit.  He  threw  his  arms  around  the 
prostrate  body,  lifted  it  as  if  it  were  weightless,  bore  it 
through  the  wood,  carried  it  over  the  field,  along  the 
road,  over  the  lawn,  across  the  piazza,  up  the  stairs,  and 
laid  it  gently  on  the  bed  which  it  had  so  recently  left 
glowing  with  life.  The  servants  were  called,  the 
explanation  made,  the  physician  summoned,  and  soon 


458  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

the    wound    was    pronounced     not     fatal,     and     Walter 
Sparker  out  of  immediate  danger. 

During  all  this  fierce  conflict  of  hate  and  blood, 
involving  life  and  death,  a  mocking-bird  on  General 
jSparker's  piazza,  had  been  pouring  forth  his  wild  and 
varied  ecstacies.  He  chattered  like  a  magpie,  called 
in  the  pert  tones  of  the  jay,  cried  in  the  excited  voice 
of  the  woodpecker,  uttered  the  caw  of  the  crow,  and 
pealed  the  clarion  of  the  cock,  mimicked  the  hoarse  and 
screeching  sounds  of  his  gaudy  neighbors  the  parrot 
and  the  peacock,  then  exceeded  the  music  of  the  lark, 
and  rivalled  the  passion  of  the  nightingale,  running 
through  all  the  gamut  of  fun  and  joy  and  woe,  and  flood 
ing  the  air  with  sounds  profuse  as  the  beams  of  the 
life-inspiring  sun,  as  if  to  deride  the  strifes  and  suffer 
ings  of  his  superior  mortals,  and  to  relieve  his  own 
panting  breast  of  nerve  and  flame  in  his  tuneful  efforts. 


We  have  health,  comfort  and  a  good  conscience." 
Page  315. 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE     SUNNY     SOUTH. 

• 

FTER  the  singular  conclusion  of  the 
Naval  Academy  Hop,  Tojo,  in 
alarm,  had  hurried  Tip  and  Lil  by 
rail  into  the  valley  of  Virginia, 
and  in  a  few  weeks  they  wander 
ed  to  the  extremity  of  the  Old 
Dominion.  What  a  contrast  between  their 
liberty,  with  the  fresh  breath  of  nature 
around  them,  and  the  sights  and  sounds  to 
which  they  had  been  accustomed  amid  the  dens 
of  the  great  Metropolis  !  Their  distance  from 
Kuric  imparted  a  secret  joy.  By  their  con 
tact  with  varied  things  and  persons,  their  intelligence 
had  been  quickened,  and  more  especially  by  the  instruc 
tions  of  Mr.  Rylance  and  their  observations  in  Annap 
olis.  Each  thing  of  earth  and  sky  was  an  object  of 
wonder.  Life  was  one  succession  of  surprises.  Now 
a  flower,  now  a  field,  a  bird,  a  snake,  a  cloud,  a 
mountain,  would  awake  their  exclamations.  Every 
where  was  the  spell  of  a  new  beauty.  The  little 
pocket  Bible,  and  the  book  of  songs  were  read  in  a 
new  light,  and  had  become  not  only  companions  but 
instructors.  The  children  played,  sang,  performed 


462  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

before  farm  houses,  in  towns  and  in  villages,  and 
always  excited  a  strange  interest  in  the  people. 
Their  earnings  were  by  no  means  contemptible,  and 
what  exceeded  their  moderate  wants  was  faithfully  trans 
mitted  to  Ruric,  whose  mystic  power  pursued  them  in 
all  their  wanderings.  They  slept  sometimes  on  a  lawn, 
again  in  a  wood,  or  a  field,  on  the  bare  earth  and 
beneath  the  broad  sky,  and  in  the  towns  could  always 
find  a  suitable  accommodation.  Their  lives  thus  com 
posed  a  poem.  In  an  age  of  iron  and  lightning,  amid 
the  excesses  of  our  civilization,  here  was  the  nearest 
approach  possible  to  the  nomadic  habits  of  a  primitive 
people.  Song,  harp  and  guitar,  completed  the  picture. 
The  children,  one  morning,  were  pillowed  on  the 
roots  of  a  patriarchal  oak,  whose  vast  circumference  of 
leaves  afforded  a  royal  shelter.  In  the  distance  stood 
the  Blue  Mountains,  whose  hazy  summits  formed  a 
line  on  the  sky,  unbroken  by  a  single  visible  depres 
sion.  Between,  was  a  wide,  undulating  plain,  covered 
with  farms  and  villages,  with  here  and  there  a  spire 
lifted  into  view,  while  the  green  of  meadows  and  the 
yellow  of  grain-fields  gave  the  charm  of  contrast. 
Toward  the  left,  the  receding  summits,  frowning  with 
opposite  rocks,  showed  a  stream  had  forced  a  cleft 
through  its  mountain-barriers  that  it  might  wind  fer 
tilizing  through  the  meadows.  On  the  right,  two 
beautiful  rivers  mingled  fraternally  their  sparkling 
waters,  and  were  traceable  by  long  lines  of  white  mists 
brightening  in  the  sun.  Indeed,  over  the  entire  land- 
Scape  was  spread  a  thin  haze,  which,  like  the  veil 


THE    SUNNY    SOUTH.  463 

of  a  bride,  heightened  the  loveliness  it  partially 
concealed. 

As  the  wanderers  took  their  simple  morning  meal 
by  the  side  of  a  clear  spring,  bubbling  out  from  the 
roots  of  an  oak,  a  squirrel  ran  out  on  the  branch  of  a 
neigboring  hickory,  and  sat  with  a  nut  between  its 
fore-paws,  and  its  tail  curled  gracefully  over  its  back. 
When  the  chippings  of  the  nut  began  to  rain  down 
on  the  leaves,  Lil  cried,  in  an  ecstacy,  pointing  to 
the  gay  and  frolicsome  creature  : 

"  Tip,  see,  see  !  What  a  beauty !  How  smooth  his 
gray  coat !  How  lovely  his  tail !  How  much  prettier 
than  the  poor  prisoner  who  turned  his  cage  in  our  den 
like  a  little  slave  !  He's  full  of  joy,  just  because  he's 
free,  like  you  and  I  are  now." 

"Not  so  free  as  you  think,"  said  Tip.  "I  tell  you, 
we're  pretty  well  caged,  after  all.  We  go  where  Ruric 
says,  and  do  all  the  work  and  give  him  the  money. 
We're  to  meet  Toj  in  Halidon  for  orders,  and  then  we'll 
know  how  we  grind  round  for  Ruric,  like  his  old  pet 
squirrel,  with  one  eye  out,  a  lame  leg,  and  the  hair  off 
its  back." 

"Don't  ever  talk  that  way,  Tip,"  cried  Lil,  quite 
terrified.  "You  scare  me,  and  you  must  stop.  Last 
night  I  dreamed  of  Ruric,  and  thought  he  seized  me 
by  the  hand,  and  shook  me,  and  beat  me  with  his 
leather  lash.  Whenever  I  think  of  him  it  makes  me 
tremble." 

"Well,  Lil,"  said  Tip,  gently,  "I'll  stop,  for  your 
sake.  I  mean  to  see  Toj  once  more,  but  I  won't 


4G4  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

stand  this  long.  We  can  make  our  own  living,  and 
no  thanks  to  anybody.  See  !  that  squirrel  on  the 
top  of  the  tree !  How  his  tail  whisks  about !  He 
looks  his  joy,  and  runs  and  leaps,  and  I  believe  it's 
because  he's  free  to  work  or  play,  and  pay  no  taxes 
to  his  owner ;  and  I'll  be  like  him  before  long,  and 
let  old  Ruric  do  his  best.  I  tell  you  I  will,  and  I 
mean  it." 

Lil  looked  gravely  on  the  ground,  but  soon  burst 
forth  with  childish  glee. 

"  Here,  Tip  !  Just  see  !  How  queer  !  These  black 
ants  have  something  white  in  their  mouths.  What 
can  it  be,  and  what  are  they  doing  ? " 

"Thunder!"  exclaimed  Tip,  gazing  curiously,  "it 
is  queer  !  One  line  of  ants  carries  the  white  things, 
and  the  other  goes  back  empty !  How  quick  they 
run !  I'll  follow  them.  Here  they  go !  I've  found 
their  nest  in  the  hole  of  this  old  tree.  I'll  tell  you, 
they're  movin',  like  the  folks  in  New  York  on  the  first 
of  May." 

After  observing  the  little  black  toilers  a  few 
minutes,  our  two  wanderers  took  their  breakfast  and 
started  forward ;  Lil  with  her  heavier  harp,  and  Tip 
with  his  guitar  and  a  small  tin  box  containing  their 
dresses  and  articles  needed  in  some  of  their  perform 
ances.  Now  they  admired  a  rose,  again  plucked  a 
violet,  chased  an  insect,  gathered  wild  flowers,  enjoyed 
the  scent  of  a  clover-field,  or  asked  for  an  apple  or  a 
melon  to  refresh  them  on  their  journey.  Their  music 
always  made  them  friends  among  the  simple  people. 


THE    SUNNY    SOUTH.  465 

These  were  to  be  the  happiest  hours  of  their  existence. 
Every  sense  was  an  avenue  of  the  keenest    pleasure. 

About  noon,  as  they  were  crossing  a  mountain, 
standing  on  a  crag,  gazing,  Lil  cried,  Suddenly  : 

"  Tip,  there's  the  grandest  thing  yet !  That  must 
be  an  eagle  !  See  him  circling  up  the  sky  !  Now  he 
drops  on  that  bird  that  screams  and  lets  fall  a  fish ! 
See  !  see  !  The  eagle  shoots  like  lightning,  and  catches 
the  fish  before  it  reaches  the  ground." 

"Well  done,  old  fellow!"  shouted  Tip.  "Thunder, 
how  he  fell !  That's  the  way  Euric  gets  the  fish  we 
catch  in  his  own  beak  and  claws.  But  he  can't  fly 
like  that,"  added  the  boy,  as  the  monarch-bird  wheeled 
sublimely  to  a  mountain  crag,  and  folding  his  pinions, 
devoured  the  spoil  taken  in  his  bold  robber-flight. 

"Do  you  think  an  angel  could  sail  more  beauti 
fully?"  said  Lil,  sadly.  "Oh,  I  wish  I  had  wings,  to 
fly  above  the  earth,  through  the  clouds,  and  be  at  rest 
somewhere !  I'm  so  tired ! "  she  exclaimed,  bursting 
into  tears.  "I  want  a  father  and  a  mother.  I  think 
of  them  all  the  time.  I  dream  of  them,  and  it  seems 
so  lonely  for  a  girl  to  be  wandering  over  the  world 
and  to  have  no  home." 

"Don't  cry,  Lil,"  said  Tip,  in  a  most  soft  and  tender 
tone.  "Wipe  your  eyes.  I  can't  stand  your  tears, 
110  way.  It  is  lonesome  for  you,  but  it'll  be  all  right 
some  day.  I'm  sure  it  will." 

Above  them,  as  an  emblem  of  hope,  a  vast  white 
cloud,  fringed  with  silver  and  gold,  seemed  to  fill  the 
heavens  with  its  ineffable  glory. 


466  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

As  she  gazed,  the  shadow  vanished  from  the  face 
of  the  girl,  and  she  smiled  through  her  tears. 

"Tip,"  she  began,  after  a  little  hesitation,  "I  have 
a  secret.  You'll  keep '  it,  won't  you  ?  Nobody  knows 
it  but  me,  and  it  seems  as  if  I  must  tell  you." 

"Thunder!"  cried  Tip,  with  an  eager  emphasis  of 
earnestness,  "you  know  I  never  blab." 

The  girl  paused,  pressed  her  bosom  as  if  to  feel 
something  concealed  by  her  dress,  and  then  lifted  out 
from  her  collar  a  locket  secured  by  a  small  gold  chain. 

"There's  something,"  she  said,  "you  never  saw 
before.  I've  worn  it  for  years,  unknown  to  Ruric, 
or  he'd  have  taken  it  and  beat  me  to  death." 

"What  a  beauty!"  cried  Tip,  taking  the  locket  and 
gazing  on  it  with  admiration.  "  That's  pure  gold !  the 
sparklers  are  diamonds,  I'm  sure  !  and  their  gems  green 
and  white  !  A  gentleman  and  a  lady  !  Handsome  as 
a  king  and  queen  !  Lil,  you  are  like  her,  as  one  rose 
is  like  another." 

"And  see,  Tip,  what's  written  here,"  Lil  exclaimed, 
with  a  species  of  mysterious  wonder;  "but  its  some 
language  I  can't  understand." 

"Now,  its  my  turn,"  said  Tip,  with  a  sly  laugh. 
"  Look  here !  this  is  queer  as  yours,  and  about  as  pretty, 
and  as  valuable.  You  can't  have  all  the  secrets,  Lil, 
nor  the  beautiful  things  either." 

The  boy  now  took  from  its  concealment  a  locket,  even 
more  rich  and  brilliant  than  that  of  Lil.  It  gleamed  in 
the  southern  sun  with  an  oriental  splendor,  and  flashed 
around  its  bright  glancing  rays  from  jewels  most  costly 


THE    SUNNY    SOUTH.  467 

and  magnificent.  A  princely  face,  a  turbaned  head,  a 
long,  flowing  beard,  eyes  large,  black  and  glittering,  a 
kingly  air  of  command,  with  characters  in  a  strange 
language,  might  well  impress  the  children  with  a 
feeling  of  mysterious  wonder  rising  into  awe.  They 
gazed  and  gazed  in  long  silence.  Thoughts  too  deep 
for  words  arose  in  their  young  souls.  Whose  were 
these  faces  ?  Whence  came  the  lockets  ?  What  was 
their  own  past,  and  what  would  be  their  future  ?  The 
fountain  of  their  being  !  In  what  land  did  it  first 
flow  !  Father  !  Mother  !  A  cloud  over  all !  Around, 
impenetrable  mystery  !  The  children  descended  the 
mountain  without  an  utterance.  Suddenly,  as  they 
passed  a  field,  the  spell  was  broken  by  a  bound 
of  youthful  impulse.  Just  before  them,  on  a  yellow 
bloom,  was  a  magnificent  scarlet  butterfly,  edged  with 
black  and  spotted  with  green,  blue  and  purple.  It 
flew  over  the  fence.  Lil  started  in  full  chase  and  Tip 
clapped  his  hands,  laughing,  as  she  ran.  Now  the 
splendid  creature  would  alight  on  a  clover-blossom,  and 
then  sail  away  on  its  bright  wings,  while  the  girl  again 
and  again  snatched  at  it  and  missed  it,  until  at  last  it 
flew  aloft  and  vanished  in  the  air,  like  some  mocking 
human  hope,  whose  gay  colors  provoke  pursuit  only 
to  end  in  cheating  disappointment. 

Tired  with  the  chase,  Lil  was  glad  to  recline  with 
Tip  under  the  ample  shadow  of  an  ancient  beech. 
Here  they  slept  until  toward  evening,  when  the  former, 
starting  up  from  her  dreams,  exclaimed  : 

"  What's  that  ?    I  never  heard  such  a  song.    Tip,  get 


468  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

up !  I  want  you  to  hear  what  beats  our  Central  Park 
bird  out  of  its  feathers." 

The  boy  awoke  and  listened,  and  then  exclaimed, 
almost  in  an  ecstacy: 

"The  North's  nothing  to  that  Southern  warbler,  I  tell 
you.  Never  heard  anything  like  it.  It's  free  !  that's 
the  reason,  and  our  birds  up  North  are  caged.  Hurrah 
for  liberty!" 

"Is  it  all  the  same  bird,  "  cried  Lil,  "that  makes 
these  notes  ? " 

"I  guess  it  be,  as  the  Yankees  say,  or  I  reckon  it 
is,  as  they  say  about  here.  That's  like  the  screech- 
owl  we  heard  last  night." 

"That's  the  lark  we  heard  this  morning." 

"And  there's  a  jay!" 

"By  thunder,   a  robin!" 

"A  cock!" 

"A  sparrow  !" 

"A  thrush!" 

"A  peacock!" 

"A  rooster!" 

"  Every  bird  in  the  world,"  at  last,  exclaimed  Tip,  in 
an  outburst  of  joy,  "and  the  last  mimicked  best!  That 
beats  itself,"  he  added,  as  the  songster,  in  a  supreme 
effort,  poured  forth  a  flood  of  melody  that  seemed  to 
thrill  the  earth  and  the  air,  and  to  kindle  into  flame 
the  souls  of  the  two  listeners. 

As  now  they  sauntered  along,  evening  lavished  all  her 
richest  colors  over  the  Southern  landscape,  touching 
everything  into  a  glow  of  beauty.  A  giant  oak 


THE    SUNNY    SOUTH.  469 

reached  out  its  gnarled  boughs,  and  a  poplar  lifted  its 
lofty  stature  into  air.  The  purple  bloom  of  the  mimosa 
emitted  its  peach-like  fragrance.  Above  was  the  white 
of  the  magnolia,  and  below  the  scarlet  of  the  cactus. 
Over  a  wall  hung  the  flowers  of  a  climatis,  and  along 
the  limbs  of  a  huge  ailantus  wound  a  brilliant  Virginia 
creeper,  and  aloft  on  the  very  top  was  visible  the 
splendor  of  a  wisteria,  while  near,  a  vast  pile  of  sweet- 
briar  exhibited  a  luxuriance  of  green  leaves  and  scented 
roses.  As  the  light  of  evening  faded,  the  moon  arose, 
and  soon  heaven  glittered  over  with  the  glory  of  the 
stars. 

Tip  and  Lil  laid  themselves  down  for  their  night's 
sleep  amid  the  gathering  shadows  of  a  wood.  Harp 
and  guitar  were  their  pillows.  Instead  of  a  lamp,  they 
had  the  moonbeams  shimmering  through  the  leaves. 
The  girl,  before  closing  her  eyes,  gazed  upward  and 
exclaimed- 

"  I  know  who  made   all  these  beautiful  things!" 

"That's  more  than  I  do,"  said  the  skeptical  Tip. 
"I  wish  I  did." 

"Our  little  Bible  tells  me,"  replied  Lil,  "and  I 
believe  it.  I  can't  help  it.  Something  says  to  me  it 
can't  lie." 

"  Thunder ! "  replied  Tip,  with  a  sort  of  masculine 
disdain,  "you're  a  girl,  and  that's  a  book  for  girls." 

"I  don't  care,  and  I'm  glad  I  am,"  said  Lil,  "if 
that  makes  me  believe.  My  book  tells  me  a  spirit 
made  everything,  and  it's  so." 

"Gammon,"     said    Tip,  shaking    his    head.        "That 


470  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

won't  stand  muster.  A  spirit !  why  it  has  no  body, 
no  hands,  or  feet,  or  anything  you  can  see.  It  couldn't 
make  heavy  rocks  and  them  big  mountains  any  more 
than  breath  or  wind.  It  couldn't  be,"  he  concluded, 
with  a  philosophic  emphasis  and  assurance. 

"But  the  book  says  so,"  cried  the  girl,  earnestly, 
"and  it  must  be  so.  And  the  spirit  who  made  all 
became  a  man  who  died  on  the  cross,  and  rose  out  of 
his  grave,  and  went  up  into  heaven,  and  is  king  of 
everything.  Oh,  if  I  couldn't  believe  this,  I  would 
want  to  kill  myself,"  and  the  big  tears  on  the  young 
pilgrim's  cheek  glistened  in  the  moonlight,  and  her 
low  sobs  were  breathed  out  on  the  evening  breeze. 

"Well!  Lil,"  answered  the  boy,  in  a  tone  of 
responsive  sympathy,  "  I  wish  I  could  believe  it, 
because  you  do.  But  I  can't.  It  seems  to  me  these 
things  just  all  grow  of  themselves.  They  come  and 
they  go  away  again.  See  this  little  violet,"  he  added, 
reaching  out  his  hand  in  the  light  of  the  moon  and 
plucking  a  delicate  flower,  "it'll  die  and  turn  to  dust, 
and  others  will  grow  and  bloom  and  fade  and  fall  to 
the  earth,  and  so  on  and  on,  and  so  will  beasts  and 
birds  and  fishes  and  men — maybe  sun,  moon  and 
stars — just  like  the  bubbles  we  saw  on  the  ocean,  one 
minute  bright  as  rainbows  and  the  next  just  nothing 
at  all.  That's  my  thinking." 

"Tip,  that's  too  bad,"  said  the  girl,  sobbing.  "It's 
against  my  book,  and  my  book  is  all  right.  Our 
Saviour  is  so  good  and  kind  and  beautiful !  He 
couldn't  lie ;  he  died  and  he  lives ;  and  I  hope  to  be 


THE    SUNNY    SOUTH.  471 

with  him,  and  that's  enough.  It  helps  me  bear  every 
thing  when  I'm  lonely,  and  want  my  father  and  mother, 
and  feel  just  like  lying  down  on  the  side  of  the  road, 
never  to  get  up  again,  and  to  be  out  of  trouble." 

As  Lil  concluded  this  childish  confession  of  her 
faith  in  the  solitary  moonlit  wood,  she  fell  asleep,  over 
come  by  her  weariness,  but  angels  were  awake  watch 
ing  over  the  place,  and  spreading  their  wings  for  her 
protection.  Tip,  too,  was  soon  in  deep  slumber.  How 
interesting  the  picture  both  to  earth  and  Heaven  ! 

Did  the  creed  of  the  fathers  reproduce  itself  in  the 
children?  Was  it  her  ancestral  faith  that  thus  dawned 
on  the  soul  of  Lil,  while  over  Tip  grew  the  dark 
shadow  of  ancestral  unbelief  ? 

To  the  one,  the  First  Cause  was  a  spiritual  person 
ality,  and  to  the  other  an  eternal  materialism.  Deism 
and  Pantheism !  The  roots  of  these  are  in  all  souls ! 
In  the  one  or  in  the  other,  each  of  us  will  finally  seek 
rest.  Deepest  in  men,  they  form  the  great  dividing 
line  !  From  faith  in  a  Personal  Creator  the  way  is 
easy  to  faith  in  a  Personal  Saviour,  and  through  Him 
to  belief  in  the  Life  Everlasting. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

MARRIAGE    AND    MADNESS. 

HE  wounds  of  Walter  Sparker  had 
brought  to  Belle  Standfast  intense 
disquietude.  His  absence  would 
have  had  a  determinate  limit,  but 
his  recovery  may  be  in  the  far 
future.  Should  he  linger  for 
months  !  Should  he  die  !  What,  then,  will 
become  of  her  ?  Her  honor  hangs  on  the- 
uncertainties  of  his  condition,  and  her  hope 
fluctuates  with  the  flying  reports.  Joy 
"xand  fear  alternate  in  her  soul  like  lights 
and  shadows  from  the  summer  clouds. 
Her  own  blighted  life  would  be  buried  in 
her  betrayer's  grave.  Should  he  survive,  will  he  pre 
vent  her  disgrace  by  an  honorable  marriage  ?  Her 
hope  was  thus  bound  up  in  him,  and  her  heart  rose 
and  fell  with  every  passing  breath.  When,  at  last, 
his  recovery  became  assured,  she  felt  that  she  had 
left  her  one  more  golden  opportunity.  That  gone,  and 
she  was  lost.  Subdued  by  suffering,  and,  under  his 
father's  roof  and  influence,  if  ever,  Walter  Sparker 
would  now  do  what  was  right,  and  save  his  victim 
from  the  dishonor  she  dreaded— dishonor,  compared 


MARRIAGE    AND    MADNESS.  473 

with  which,  death  was  nothing.  But  let  the  auspicious 
moment  pass !  Let  the  man  plunge  into  his  old 
pleasures,  and,  more  than  all,  be  again  under  the  shadow 
of  Bidman,  and  he  would  become  harder  than  ever, 
and  she  be  left  to  her  fate. 

She  perceived,  with  a  woman's  instinct,  that  only 
General  Sparker  and  Edward  Stewart  could  aid  her  in 
her  dark  distress,  and  after  many  tears  and  struggles, 
to  the  latter  she  concluded  to  address  a  note. 

When,  in  answer  to  her  request,  Edward  reached 
the  house,  he  found  Belle  in  a  room  with  the  curtains 
drawn  and  the  doors  closed,  so  that  the  gloom  of  the 
apartment  corresponded  to  the  sorrow  of  her  heart. 
The  salutations  of  the  day  having  been  exchanged,  she 
said,  in  a  low,  sad  voice  : 

"  Do  you  remember,  Mr.  Stewart,  that  in  this  place 
you  promised  to  be  my  friend  ?" 

"I  recollect  our  conversation  well,"  replied  Edward 
promptly  and  cheerfully.  "Nor  have  I  forgotten  my 
pledge.  I  engaged  to  be  to  you  more  than  a  friend — 
I  was  to  be  a  brother." 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Stewart,  thank  you,  from  my 
heart,"  she  said,  with  tears.  "Your  face  and  tone 
assure  me  that  you  will  redeem  your  word.  Alas,  alas, 
neither  you  nor  I  could  then  know  what  was  involved 
in  that  promise.  I  never  thought  I  could  ask  you  to 
do  what  I  want  now."  Wringing  her  hands,  she  added  : 
"But  my  misery  is  intolerable,  and  you  are  my  only 
hope." 

"Miss    Standfast,"    he    answered,    with    a    kind    and 


474  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

sympathetic  look,  "my  promise  had  no  limit,  and  my 
performance  shall  equal  it.  Whatever  the  nature  of 
your  difficulties,  my  hand,  my  heart  and  my  head 
are  all  ready  to  help  you.  Speak  to  me  freely,  and 
consider  me  at  your  disposal." 

"Oh,  you  are  indeed  true  and  kind,"  she  exclaimed, 
with  a  heaving  bosom.  "  I  know  that  I  can  trust 
you.  But  how,  oh,  how  can  I  explain  to  you  what 
I  wish  !  It  is  terrible,  too  terrible  ! " 

"Do  not  speak  and  feel  thus,  Miss  Standfast,"  he 
said,  with  deep  emotion.  "Remember  that  I  am  your 
brother — your  only  brother." 

"How  can  I  tell  you,  Mr.  Stewart,"  she  exclaimed, 
with  faster-flowing  tears,  "tell  you,  in  this  place,  where 
you  offered  me  your  noble,  manly  heart,  that  your 
rival,  whom  I  preferred,  has  been  my  destroyer  ?  Only 
marriage  with  a  man  who  has  been  my  ruin,  and 
whom  I  can  never  love,  never  respect,  never  trust,  can 
save  me  and  my  family  from  a  blot  darker,  deeper, 
more  dreadful,  than  any  other  that  can  stain  a 
woman  ! " 

As  she  uttered  these  words,  she  sank  down  on  the 
sofa,  pale  and  helpless,  and  it  seemed  that  the  agony 
of  the  moment  had  exhausted  the  springs  of  her  life. 

"  Miss  Standfast,"  began  Edward,  as  soon  as  she 
revived,  "  what  is  done,  is  done ;  we  cannot  change 
it.  Tears  cannot  obliterate  stern  facts.  Let  us  accept 
the  situation  just  as  it  is,  and  tell  me  precisely  what 
you  desire." 

These    words    strengthened    her,    and,   smiling    sadly 


MARRIAGE    AND    MADNESS.  475 

into   his    manly  face,   and    still  reclining  on  the  pillow 
of  the  sofa,   she  said  : 

"Mr.  Stewart,  I  have  no  faith  in  Walter  Sparker. 
He  is  naturally  weak  and  fickle,  and  under  the  influ 
ence  of  Dr.  Bidman  he  becomes  far  worse  than  he  is 
by  nature.  I  have  no  hope  but  in  his  father,  and 
with  his  father  you  alone  can  plead  my  cause."  She 
could  say  no  more,  choked  by  emotion. 

Edward  answered  immediately.  "  I  perceive  all  at 
a  glance,  Miss  Standfast.  You  need  not  add  another 
word.  I  will  speak  to  General  Sparker,  and  do  all  in 
my  power  to  make  Walter  see  and  feel  his  duty.  You 
are  right  in  saying  that  Bidman  is  most  to  be  dreaded. 
He  is  the  evil  genius  of  Sparker,  and  darkens  round 
his  victim  with  a'  shadow  black  as  hell.  But  we  will 
try  to  defeat  his  villainies.  I  acknowledge  the  cloud 
is  thick  and  dark,  but  I  can  see  light  glimmering 
through  it ;  the  edges  are  already  fringed  and  all  will 
soon  be  once  more  bright." 

The  girl  sprang  to  her  feet.  Hope  once  more 
dawned  in  her  heart.  She  seized  the  hand  of  her  friend, 
and  poured  forth  such  words  of  gratitude  as  it  would 
be  impossible  to  record. 

Edward  Stewart  proceeded  at  once  to  the  house  .of 
General  Sparker,  who  appeared  to  be  in  deep  grief.  He 
was  bent  and  worn  with  some  sorrow  which  had  pierced 
his  heart,  and  the  change  in  him  was  painful.  The 
snows  and  storms  of  his  advanced  years  had  suddenly 
left  on  him  the  white  and  blight  of  winter.  Stewart 
was  awed  and  embarrassed  before  these  visible  tokens 


476  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

of  an  old  man's  misery.  After  some  preliminary  conver 
sation,  he  at  last  said  : 

"  General,  I  am  sent  here  on  a  painful  subject,  and 
hesitate  to  add  to  the  troubles  of  your  venerable  age, 
and  yet  I  am  under  an  obligation  I  cannot  escape." 

"  Proceed,  Mr.  Stewart,  proceed,"  answered  the 
General,  with  an  effort  that  indicated  the  foreboding 
of  his  mind. 

"  I  have  a  message  to  you  from  Miss  Belle 
Standfast,"  returned  Edward,  looking  steadily  into  the 
eye  of  his  aged  friend,  who  startled  and  trembled,  while 
the  blood  flushed  into  his  pale  and  haggard  face. 
After  a  moment's  pause,  he  said,  slowly  : 

"  I  know  all,  Mr.  Stewart,  and  I  know  the  cause 
of  my  son's  wounds." 

It  was  Edward,  now,  who  was  surprised  and 
embarrassed.  He  started  and  his  face  became  crimson. 

"How  can  this  be?  I  have  never  mentioned  our 
struggle  to  a  living  being.  I  supposed,  too,  that  Miss 
Standfast's  condition  was  a  profound  secret." 

"I  am  sure  there  was  no  betrayal  on  your  part,  Mr. 
Stewart,"  said  the  General,  kindly.  "My  knowledge 
came  from  Walter  himself." 

."For  this  I  am  indeed  thankful,"  replied  Edward. 
"It  encourages  me  to  believe  he  will  do  right  and 
repair  the  injuries  to  Miss  Standfast." 

"Alas!"  answered  the  General.  "My  information 
was  not  from  the  conscience  of  my  son,  but  from  his 
fever.  When  his  mind  was  in  a  delirium  I  entered  his 
room,  and,  when  his  eyes  were  closed,  and  he  was 


MARRIAGE    AND    MADNESS.  477 

^evidently  asleep,  perhaps  dreaming,  I  heard  him  relate  in 
the  most  vivid  words  what  transpired  in  the  car  with 
Miss  Standfast— your  look  through  the  window,  and 
'the  fight  next  morning.  I  soon  saw  the  real  state  of  the 
case,  and  came  to  the  conclusion  that  you  were  not  at 
all  to  blame." 

"I  assure  you,  General,"  said  Edward,  earnestly, 
*'  nothing  but  a  blow,  indeed  an  assault  on  my  life, 
could  have  induced  me  to  strike  your  son.  I  have 
never  felt  anything  so  intensely,  and  until  his  recovery 
was  assured  I  thought  madness  would  be  my  doom. 
There  is  no  man  on  earth  I  so  love  and  respect  as 
yourself,  and  the  blood  of  Walter  on  my  life  would  have 
been  more  than  I  could  bear." 

The  General  extended  his  hand,  and  said:  "I  know, 
Mr.  Stewart,  that  what  you  say  is  true.  All  is  under 
stood  and  settled  between  us.  What  relates  to  Miss 
Standfast  is,  indeed,  painful.  It  is  the  most  terrible 
blow  of  my  life,  and  has  nearly  crushed  my  heart.' 
There  was  but  one  honorable  course,  and  that  I  have 
compelled  Walter  to  pursue.  He  has  made  promise  of 
marriage,  the  day  is  fixed,  and  even  the  hour  and  the 
place.  This  afternoon  he  is  to  see  Belle  in  his  room. 
I  hope  that  this  will  be  satisfactory  to  all  parties.  I 
myself  will  be  present  at  the  Church." 

Edward  arose,  his  face  glowing  with  joy,  and  shook 
the  General's  hand,  exclaiming : 

"  I  knew  you  would  do  this.  It  is  like  yourself. 
What  a  ruin  you  have  lifted  from  a  young  and 
wretched  heart.  From  what  a  blot  you  have  saved  a 


478  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

worthy  family !      God  Almighty  will  bless  you  for  this 
act  of  justice." 

Nothing  could  exceed  the  thrill  in  the  soul  of  Belle 
Standfast  when  she  heard  from  the  lips  of  Edward 
what  had  been  required  by  General  Sparker,  and 
promised  by  Walter.  Her  tears  flowed  in  gratitude  to 
Heaven  that  afternoon  in  the  chamber  of  her  affianced 
husband.  The  scene  was  indeed  touching  and  sacred. 
Walter  was  in  earnest,  and  made  happy  in  the  conscious 
ness  that  he  was  willing  at  the  altar  to  deliver  his 
victim.  Now  the  shadows  seem  dispersed  from  those 
uniting  lives.  The  gloom  of  midnight  was  succeeded 
by  the  brightness  of  morning.  John  Standfast  and 
his  wife  felt  as  if  they  had  escaped  from  some  over 
hanging  rock  about  to  fall  on  them  from  the  height  of 
a  precipice  and  crush  them  to  fragments. 

Alas !  for  poor  human  hearts  and  hopes.  Misery 
darkens  over  man.  A  spectre  leers  amid  his  very 
festivals.  At  the  bottom  of  his  cup  of  joy  is  always 
some  drop  of  poison  hid  by  the  sparkles  of  the  wine. 
Even  in  the  bosom  of  the  most  radiant  cloud  is  a 
concealed  thunderbolt.  What  blight  is  on  a  world 
framed  by  the  eternal  love  and  wisdom !  Philosophy, 
solve  the  mystery  !  Evil  follows  good,  despair  follows 
hope,  grief  follows  joy,  death  follows  life !  On  the 
universe  a  shadow  everlasting,  and  behind  all,  mercy 
and  justice  on  the  throne  together  !  We  cannot  wonder 
that  man,  unaided,  maddens  at  the  spectacle. 

Did  General  Sparker  hear  Walter's  ravings  for  good  ? 
Also  Saul  Bidman  heard  them  for  evil.       The  breast  of 


"  Alas  for  poor  human  hearts  and  hooes  !  " 
:ja£e  478. 


MARRIAGE    AND    MADNESS.  481 

the  one  stored  for  his  happiness  the  words  of  the  sick 
man,  and  the  breast  of  the  other  stored  the  very  same 
words  for  his  destruction. 

That  night  the  shadow  of  the  spectre  was  in  the 
room  of  his  victim,  and  stood  at  the  side  of  his  bed  to 
wake  in  him  every  bad  passion  and  purpose.  Death 
was  in  his  mission,  although  he  knew  it  not. 

"Walter,"  began  Bidman,  with  satanic  art,  "so 
Belle  struck  you  in  the  car  ?  Nice  for  a  bride  !  Did 
she  leave  the  marks  of  her  sweet  little  fingers  ?  She 
is  an  affectionate  creature,  and  will  make  you  an 
amiable  wife." 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  stop,  Saul!"  cried  Walter,  in  a 
helpless  and  beseeching  tone.  "  Don't  open  that  matter. 
It's  all  arranged,  and  I  feel  as  if  a  locomotive  was 
lifted  off  my  breast.  I've  promised  father,  and  I've 
promised  Belle.  Don't  unsettle  me." 

"And  Edward  Stewart,"  resumed  Bidman,  with  a 
sneer  and  a  scowl,  "was  observing  your  caresses 
through  the  car  window,  and  saw  you  give  her  a 
necklace  and  a  kiss  as  a  reward  for  her  blow.  These 
are  good  friends  to  drive  you  into  a  promise  of  mar 
riage  on  your  sick  bed." 

"  Bidman,"  said  Walter,  raising  himself  on  his 
elbow,  and  speaking  in  a  tone  of  even  painful  suppli 
cation,  "don't  tempt  me!  You  must  stop  this!  I  can't 
stand  it.  You'll  drive  me  crazy." 

"Now  I  see  it  all,"  continued  Bidman,  with  the 
same  mocking  manner.  "Edward  Stewart  brought  you 
to  terms  with  his  fist.  You  yield  to  your  enemy 


482  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

when  he  knocks  you  down.  Every  drop  of  blood  he 
brings  from  your  flesh  is  a  warm  argument  in  favor 
of  his  proposition.  Scars  and  bruises  have  forced  you 
to  accept  his  terms." 

"Saul,  you'll  kill  me,"  exclaimed  Walter,  almost 
distracted.  "I  feel  the  devil  rising  in  me  now.  You're 
waking  a  tempest  that  will  destroy  us  all.  If  you  let 
hell  loose  out  of  my  heart,  I  warn  you,  that  you  will 
be  the  first  to  burn  in  its  flames." 

"  Your  father,"  burst  out  Bidman,  with  a  keener 
irony  than  before,  "  General  Adam  Sparker,  an  old 
man,  .stands  beside  his  wounded  son,  takes  advantage 
of  his  feebleness,  and  extorts  from  him  a  promise  to 
marry  a  dishonored  woman,  and  forces  him  to  wear 
for  life  a  yoke  he  will  loathe.  A  charming  parental 
affection  ! " 

Walter  sat  upright  in  his  bed.  He  stared  round 
wildly,  and  then  struck  his  hands  together  and  exclaimed  : 

"Do  you  think  it  was  fixed  up,  Saul?  Did  they 
play  on  my  fears,  and  impose  on  my  weakness  ? " 
Then,  holding  up  his  hands  before  his  eyes  as  if  to 
shut  out  the  view  of  some  horrible  spectre,  he  added, 
fiercely  : 

"I  see  it  all,   and   I'll  be   even   with  them." 

"  That's  like  yourself,  Walter,"  said  Bidman,  encourag 
ingly.  "  Now  I  know  you  again,  old  fellow.  Before, 
it  was  some  person  else  lying  on  that  bed.  You'll 
soon  be  well  again,  now  that  your  old  blood  is  in  your 
veins,  and  your  old  courage  in  your  heart.  A  pretty 
wife  Belle  would  make  you.  Could  you  trust  her  ?  If 


MARRIAGE    AND    MADNESS.  483 

she  yielded  to  you,  she  would  yield  to  another.  Would 
you  ever  feel  safe  ?  They've  imposed  on  you,  and  I 
have  come  here  to  deliver  you  from  a  life-long  bond-' 
age.  It's  all  an  infernal  conspiracy,  and  you  shan't 
be  caught  in  it  while  Saul  Bidman  can  save  you." 

"But  what  shall  I  do?"  inquired  Walter,  with  a 
most  piteous  hesitation.  "  It's  all  arranged.  I  have 
given  my  word  to  father  and  Belle,  and  I  can  see  no 
way  out  of  it." 

"Do!"  said  Bidman,  "do!  Leave  that  to  me!  Let 
the  ocean  be  your  bride  on  your  wedding  day.  Marry 
England,  Ireland,  Scotland,  France,  all  Europe,  and  the 
rest  of  the  world  beside.  Have  a  free  time  instead  of 
wearing  this  cursed  yoke.  I'll  telegraph  and  engage 
your  passage  on  the  Aurona.  She  leaves  New  York 
at  the  very  hour  you  were  to  have  been  enslaved. 
When  you  are  out  on  the  ocean,  a  free  man,  with  all 
this  planet  before  you,  and  money  enough  to  pay 
your  bills,  you'll  thank  Saul  Bidman  that  you're  not 
wearing  a  chain  which  would  make  you  a  treadmill 
slave,  with  Edward  Stewart  and  all  the  rest  of  them 
laughing  at  you,  while  you  grind  for  life  at  the 
side  of  the  virtuous  Belle  Standfast." 

Good  and  evil  still  struggled  in  that  feeble  soul. 
Fierce  passions  painted  themselves  on  the  face  and 
writhed  in  the  form  of  Walter  Sparker.  He  tossed  on 
his  bed,  under  the  stare  of  Bidman,  like  a  demoniac. 
Now  he  is  quiet.  The  storm  is  over.  Pride  has^ 
triumphed.  The  solemn  pledge  is  under  his  feet.  In 
his  soul  he  spurns  it,  and  tramples  on  it,  as  he  ground 


484  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

before  beneath  his  heel  the  written  order  of  his  father. 
Indeed,  the  one  sin  had  prepared  the  way  for  the  other. 
Evil  deeds  are  always  links  in  a  continuous  chain. 
The  fatal  resolution  of  Walter  Sparker  had  but  flowered 
under  the  fiery  heats  of  his  passions  from  the  seed  he 
had  been  planting  during  years  of  idleness  and  dissi 
pation. 

Walter  said,   at  last,   calmly,  to  his  tempter  : 

"  Bidman,  you  always  conquer,  and  lead  me  to  the 
devil,  just  as  you  please,  and  Fm  only  too  willing  to 
follow.  Telegraph,  and  I'll  play  them  a  trick  that 
will  be  revenge,  even  if  it  sends  me  to  hell ! " 

Having  uttered  these  words  in  a  tone  of  sullen 
defiance,  Walter  Sparker  turned  on  his  side,  with  his 
face  to  the  wall,  and  Bidman  left  his  room  with  a 
leer  of  satanic  triumph. 

The  day  arrived.  The  bloom  and  fragrance  of 
flowers  were  in  the  modest  parish  church.  A  smile 
played  over  everything.  Music  pealed  its  joy  from  the 
organ.  Old  General  Sparker  was  in  his  pew.  John 
Standfast  was  there  to  give  away  the  bride.  His  wife 
sat  near  with  a  smirk  of  satisfaction.  Edward 
Stewart  and  other  friends  were  in  waiting,  and  his 
stately  mother  appeared  in  matronly  beauty  and  dignity. 
Crowds  of  villagers,  including  workmen  and  their  fam 
ilies,  were  present.  Belle  came  to  the  church,  fragrant 
with  orange  blossoms,  bright  with  hope — the  glow  on 
her  cheek  and  joy  in  her  heart,  although  the  shadow 
of  a  terrible  fear  would  occasionally  fall  over  her 
spirit.  Walter  Sparker  did  not  arrive.  There  was  a 


Covered  by  the  cold  clods  forever  from  the  sun." 
Page  488. 


MARRIAGE    AND    MADNESS.  489 

long  waiting,  a  painful  suspense,  a  dismal  foreboding. 
The  surpliced  clergyman,  with  his  opened  book,  stood 
at  the  rail  of  the  chancel.  More  than  once  the  organ, 
with  obvious  effort,  strove  to  relieve  the  embarrass 
ment.  But  the  groom  appeared  not.  Finally,  the 
dreadful  truth  broke  on  the  soul  of  Belle  Standfast. 
She  was  not  only  betrayed,  but  openly  insulted  and 
irretrievably  ruined.  She  shrieked,  rushed  from  the 
church,  leaped  into  the  carriage,  ordered  the  coachman 
to  drive  home,  and  reached  her  room — a  maniac  ! 

That  night,  as  Edward  Stewart  sat  at  his  window, 
he  saw  a  white  figure  glide,  like  a  ghost,  beneath  the 
glimmer  of  the  stars,  and  vanish  in  the  darkness.  He 
started,  a  thrill  pierced  his  soul,  he  had  an  intuition 
of  a  frightful  fact.  He  rushed  down  the  stairs,  and 
ran  under  the  smile  of  the  mocking  moon  as  she 
sailed  out  from  a  dark  cloud.  As  he  reached  the 
shadow  of  a  wood  he  heard  a  shrill  cry,  never  to  be 
forgotten,  and  then  a  sudden  splash.  Quickening  his 
speed,  he  approached  a  little  lake,  the  circles  of  whose 
waters  were  sparkling  in  the  brilliant  midnight  beams, 
while  quivering  and  flashing  beneath  the  surface,  the 
stars  seemed  in  a  wild  dance  of  death.  He  plunged 
in,  waded  around  for  some  minutes,  and  soon  saw  the 
white  garments  and  upturned  face  of  Belle  Standfast. 
She  was  dead.  A  smile  played  over  her  features.  In 
her  grave  of  waters,  the  poor  maniac  had  found  rest 
from  the  pangs  of  life,  and,  we  may  trust,  forgive 
ness  from  her  merciful  Creator.  Stewart  lifted  the 
cold,  wet,  dripping  form  in  his  strong  arms,  bore  her 


490  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

to  her  father's  house,    and    laid    her    on    her    bed,    yet 
warm  with  the  heat  of  her  body. 

The  frantic  grief  in  that  home  we  may  not  attempt 
to  tell.  That  arrow  which  killed  the  daughter  pierced 
the  mother's  heart,  inflicting  a  fatal  wound,  and  left 
in  the  soul  of  the  silent  father  a  pang,  which  can 
only  be  assuaged  in  his  grave.  A  few  days  after  the 
sad  events  we  have  just  related,  in  the  place  where 
had  begun  the  marriage  joy,  and  where  Belle  should 
have  stood  a  happy  wife,  she  was  seen  in  her  coffin, 
the  bride  of  death,  and,  amid  the  sad  strains  of  the 
funeral  dirge,  was  carried  out  of  the  church,  to  be  laid 
in  the  earth,  and  covered  by  the  cold  clods  forever 
from  the  sun. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE    LITTLE    WANDERERS    ILL. 

FEAR,    after    all,    that    I     may    be 
chasing      a     phantom,"      said     Mr. 
Petrovich    to   Mcolai,    as     they  sat 
smoking  together  in  their  parlor  in 
Washington.        "My    heart     seems 
leading    my    head.       When    I    pause 
and  let  reason  control    fancy,   I    cannot   jus 
tify  myself  in  thus  expending  my  time  and 
my  money." 

"Pardon    me    for     differing     from     you," 
answered  Nicolai,   very  deliberately  knocking 
the   ashes  from  his  cigar.       "Many  facts  con 
cur    to    prove    that    Lillie  is    the  person  you 
seek.      Ruric,  himself,   admitted  it." 

"And  at  first,"  replied  Mr.  Petrovich,  "that,  of 
itself,  appeared  to  settle  the  question.  But  he  may 
have  assumed  to  acquiesce  in  what  he  saw  we  believed, 
merely  to  inflict  on  me  the  keenest  torment.  He  has 
succeeded  too.  Whoever  Lillie  may  be,  I  have  been 
tortured  with  the  dread  of  his  lustful  vengeance,  fear 
ing  even  the  possibility  of  ruin  to  one  who  may  be 
bound  to  me  by  a  tie  so  sacred." 

"Had  you  seen,  as  I  did,"  answered  Nicolai,  agitated 


492  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

by  the  recollection,  "his  eye  and  face,  and  heard  his 
terrible  words  of  revenge,  the  impression  would  have 
been  overwhelming.  Since  that  moment,  my  suspicion 
has  risen  into  certainty." 

"You  must,  however,  remember,"  said  Mr.  Petrovich, 
smiling,  "that  you  have  not  so  much  involved  as  I. 
With  me,  it  is  not  a  mere  matter  of  the  heart. 
Sentiment  will  not  avail  before  the  tribunals.  I  must 
have  judicial  proof  before  the  child  can  be  restored  to 
her  home,  her  estate  and  her  title,  and,  so  far,  you 
must  admit  that  nothing  approaches  the  necessary 
legal  evidence." 

"True!  I  grant  it,"  replied  Nicolai,  disturbed  by 
the  shadow  of  a  doubt.  "But,  on  the  other  hand,  we 
must  remember  that  beside  our  present  pursuit  we 
have  no  trace  whatever.  Lillie  is  our  sole  clew. 
Abandon  her  and  we  abandon  all.  If  we  stop,  we  are 
in  darkness.  My  advice  is  to  press  onward  in  the 
path  that  we  have  chosen.  Light  will  soon  come.  I 
will  stand  by  you  and  go  with  you  to  the  end.  Let 
me  implore  you  not  to  pause  or  falter  now.  The 
night  has  been  long  and  wearisome,  but  I  am  per 
suaded  that  the  dawn  is  near." 

"I  am  moved,  I  fear,"  said  Mr.  Petrovich,  "more 
by  your  earnestness  than  your  argument.  Still,  the 
last  consideration  you  urged  determines.  We  have 
really  no  other  way  and  no  other  hope,  and  we  must 
wait  here  until  the  time  comes  to  go  forward.  Besides, 
I  have  a  command  from  his  Majesty  to  observe  the 
country,  make  notes,  and  report  to  him,  and  I  know 


THE    LITTLE    WANDERERS    ILL.  493 

no  more    effectual   way  to    study  the    people    and  their 
government   than   in  our   Quixotic   search." 

After  this  conversation  the  gentlemen  threw  away 
their  cigars,  drew  on  their  gloves,  took  their  hats  and 
canes,  and  sauntered  forth  to  the  square  opposite  the 
Presidential  mansion.  Occasionally  walking,  oftener 
seated,  they  continued  talking  most  earnestly,  and,  for 
the  moment,  oblivious  of  the  great  work  to  which  they 
had  just  before  consecrated  anew  their  energies. 

Mr.   Petrovich,  standing  in  front  of  the  White   House, 
and  pointing  to  it   with  his  cane,    exclaimed  : 

"  What  a  shocking  place  for  the  residence  of  the 
Sovereign  of  a  great  people  !  Surely  neither  beauty 
nor  comfort  were  consulted  in  the  plan.  See  those 
pillars,  lean  as  Uncle  Sam  in  Harper  !  Yesterday, 
when  I  pulled  the  bell,  the  fastening  of  the  handle 
came  loose  from  the  wall  !  Nor  is  the  interior  better 
than  the  exterior !  What  horrid  minglings  of  colors- 
in  the  shabby  old  Green  Room  !  Compare  the  bare, 
dingy,  unsightly  East  Room  with  any  corresponding 
apartment  in  the  Winter  Palace  ! " 

"  Of  course,  it  is  all  absurd,"  answered  Nicolai,  with 
a  slight  appearance  of  mortification.  "I  can  defend 
much  in  the  young  Republic,  but  the  White  House  is 
quite  too  hard  for  me." 

"Moreover,"  said  Mr.  Petrovich,  gratified  with  his- 
triumph,  "it  seems  to  me  to  have  been  placed  near 
yon  malarious  marshes  just  to  make  the  Constitution 
more  democratic,  by  shortening  the  term  of  the  Exec 
utive,  and  rendering  frequent  elections  necessary.  An 


494  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

American  fever  is  nearly  as  certain  and  as  fatal  to 
these  republican  monarchs  as  European  dynamite  to  our 
kings  and  emperors." 

"Bad  enough,  I  admit,"  replied  Nicolai,  "but  the 
evil  will  be  cured  by  a  single  sacrifice,  while  our 
Nihilists  demand  many  victims.  When  one  President 
dies  of  marsh-disease,  Congress,  if  he  has  been  popular, 
will  become  magnanimous,  and  build  a  suitable  mansion 
in  an  eligible  locality." 

"But,"  interposed  Mr.  Petrovich,  cynically,  "the 
style  of  the  house  is  no  worse  than  the  style  of  the 
occupants,  and  that  cannot  be  cured  without  the  death 
of  many  generations.  Vulgarity  is  in  the  blood  of 
republics.  Yesterday  I  saw,  in  that  Executive  mansion, 
a  servant  in  his  shirt-sleeves.  Coatless  democracy ! 
More  abominable  yet,  on  the  day  before,  I  saw  a  lad 
on  the  avenue  stop  the  Presidential  carriage,  and 
deliver  a  telegram  to  the  mistress  of  the  nation.  I 
cannot  but  contrast  the  manners  of  this  White  House 
with  the  elegance  of  our  Winter  Palace." 

"I  cannot  assert,"  replied  Nicolai,  hesitatingly,  "that 
a  republic  promotes  refinement  among  the  higher  ranks 
of  society.  Here  a  monarchy  has  the  superiority.  A 
Court  is  a  model  for  an  empire.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  nowhere  in  the  world  are  the  middle  and  laboring 
classes  so  polite  and  obliging  as  in  this  country,  while 
everywhere  there  is  that  chivalric  gallantry  toward 
woman  which  is  a  pledge  of  universal  refinement  in 
the  future.  With  all  the  boasted  courtesy  of  France, 
the  working  people  of  Paris  are  often  insulting  and 


THE    LITTLE    WANDERERS    ILL.  495 

disgusting  in  their  behavior  toward  those  they  envy 
as  superiors." 

"  Yes !  Since  the  Republic,"  dryly  observed  Mr. 
Petrovich.  "  Look  at  the  three  democratic  rulers  of 
the  French  Republic,  in  their  three  old  palaces,  and 
compare  their  style  with  the  imperialistic  splendor  of 
the  Tuileries  when  there  was  a  single  sovereign  ! " 

"  The  obstacles  to  refinement  of  manners,"  said 
Nicolai,  earnestly,  in  reply,  "  are  here  temporary. 
Besides,  I  know  old  families  in  this  country  as  lovely 
and  as  charming  as  any  I  have  seen  in  Europe." 

"You  say  old  families,"  replied  Mr.  Petrovich; 
"  that  is,  those  who  have  inherited  their  tastes  and 
manners  from  the  monarchical  times  of  the  colonies. 
I  tell  you,  refinement  here  is  impossible,  in  the  present 
constitution  of  society.  See  these  members  of  Con 
gress  !  Many  come  from  the  lowest  places  in  life. 
How  rough  and  uncouth  in  their  ways !  Yet  their 
position  must  be  recognized,  and  they  leave  their 
impress  everywhere.  Other  things,  to  my  imperialistic 
feelings,  are  shocking.  Why,  at  the  President's 
Saturday  reception,  I  saw  three  thick-lipped  negresses 
grinning  next  to  the  wife  and  daughters  of  the  Secre 
tary  of  State.  The  mistress  of  the  mansion,  to  ensure 
her  popularity  at  her  reception,  passes  among  her 
guests,  vulgarly  introducing  them,  instead  of  waiting 
in  her  place  for  a  dignified  presentation.  This  repub 
lican  mixture  is  my  abhorrence.  Odi  profanum  vulgus ! 
Reverence  is  impossible  in  the  people  without  magnifi 
cence  in  the  sovereign." 


496  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

"Pardon  my  boldness,  Mr.  Petrovich,  and  do  not 
remember  my  offense  when  I  return  to  the  court  of 
the  Czar,"  exclaimed  Nicolai.  "I  must  again  defend 
the  Republic.  Among  the  people,  I  have  usually  found 
the  greatest  kindness  and  even  courtesy.  The  Pres 
ident,  indeed,  cannot  forget  that  he  has  been  elevated 
by  the  votes  of  the  humblest  citizens,  and  he  must, 
therefore,  give  access  to  the  lowly,  even  if  they  may 
be  black.  But,  in  return,  how  safe  his  person !  He 
requires  no  guard  against  nihilistic  assassins.  No  need 
for  him  to  hide  amid  the  cold  magnificence  of  a  royal 
palace  !  In  this,  what  noble  dignity !  Peril  and  seclu 
sion  are  now  the  price  of  the  pomp  and  glory  of 
monarchy.  There  goes  the  President !  He  is  walking 
in  the  dress  of  a  citizen.  Yet,  he  is  sovereign  of  one 
of  the  greatest  nations  of  the  world.  To  me,  in  this 
republican  simplicity,  there  is  somthing  more  impressive 
and  sublime  than  in  all  the  splendors  of  kingly 
majesty." 

Mr.  Petrovich  was  displeased  with  the  boldness  of 
his  friend,  and  not  inclined  to  continue  the  subject. 
A  fortunate  interruption  here  prevented  further  embar 
rassment. 

In  the  distance,  an  immense  man  was  seen  running. 
Soon  the  giant,  Ling,  was  recognized  approaching  in 
fiery  haste,  panting  and  perspiring,  his  whole  soul 
beaming  in  his  face.  His  small  eyes  sparkled ;  his 
grin  of  joy  disclosed  his  white,  regular  teeth ;  his 
cheek  bones  appeared  to  assume  increased  prominence, 
and  his  yellow  skin  glistened  with  his  delight.  Even 


THE    LITTLE    WANDERERS    ILL.  497 

his  pig-tail  had  an  ecstasy  in  its  vibrations.  Eager  as 
he  was,  he  did  not  forget  his  oriental  politeness. 
Standing  before  the  gentleman,  he  crossed  his  arms 
over  his  breast,  and  made  an  obeisance,  so  that  his 
forehead  almost  touched  the  ground.  This  accomplished, 
the  suppressed  fire  broke  forth  : 

"  Me  habee  foundee  'em.  Thesee  papers  see.  In 
'Nappolee,  time  one — time  two,  in  Halidonee  Yirginee — 
Mellika  can'tee  hide  now  themee— themee  we  habee 
certinee." 

He  gave  to  Mr.  Petrovich  an  Annapolis  weekly 
which  had  an  account  of  the  scene  we  have  described 
at  the  annual  hop  of  the  Naval  Academy,  and  then  a 
paper  recording  the  performances  of  Tip  and  Lil  in 
Halidon,  and  several  other  villages  of  southern  Virginia. 
Mr.  Petrovich  read  the  narratives  with  profound 
interest  and  emotion,  and  then  gave  them  to  Nicolai, 
who  ran  his  eye  over  them  with  even  keener  atten 
tion. 

After  a  few  moments  of  deep  reflection,  Mr.  Petro 
vich  inquired  : 

"  Where  did  you  find  these  papers,  Ling  ?  This  is, 
indeed,  opportune  and  wonderful.  The  light  we  wished 
shines  amid  our  deepest  gloom.  Tell  me,  tell  me, 
how  and  where  did  you  obtain  these  newspapers  ? " 

"New  Yorkee ! "  answered  the  giant.  "In  paper- 
place  me  readee  manee,  manee,  manee,  very  manee 
— this  'Nappolee  one  me  findee  ;  go  there  firstee.  No 
Tippee,  no  Lillee,  no  Tojee,  no  nobodee — me  to  New 
Yorkee  ;  come  hackee — readee,  readee,  readee,  three  days 


498  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

readee — then    this    Virginee    paper    me    findee— here   me 
come  soonee — mustee  go  to  Halidonee  soonee,    certinee." 

"What  do  you  think,  Nicolai  ?"  inquired  Mr.  Petro- 
vich,  when  that  gentleman  had  finished  the  papers. 

"Think!"  he  responded;  "think!  think!  Surely  our 
prayers  are  answered !  We  have  the  clew  we  sought. 
How  marvelous  !  Noonday  has  come  into  our  mid 
night  !  Onward,  I  say,  onward  !  Our  reward  is  near." 

"  I  am  by  no  means  so  enthusiastic,"  said  Mr. 
Petrovich ;  * '  yet  I  am  impelled  forward  by  circum 
stances.  Besides,  I  wish  to  see  the  South  once  more 
before  I  meet  the  Emperor.  Ling,  engage  our  places 
for  the  next  train,  through  Richmond  to  the  station 
nearest  Halidon." 

The  giant  again  drew  up  his  enormous  stature, 
crossed  his  hands,  made  his  deep  reverence,  and 
departed  to  execute  the  commands  of  his  master. 

On  the  next  morning,  the  gentlemen  and  the 
Chinese  servant  were  in  Halidon.  Inquiry  proved  that 
Tip  and  Lil  had  spent  several  weeks  in  the  neighbor 
hood.  Many  persons  described  them  so  minutely  that 
mistake  was  impossible.  It  was  finally  ascertained  that 
they  had  been  last  seen  at  the  house  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Wellington,  several  miles  distant,  and  thither  the 
pursuers  repaired.  Entering  the  lawn,  they  were  struck 
with  the  imposing  old  brick  edifice — an  impressive 
monument  of  the  plantation  times— spacious  and 
venerable,  with  its  immense  green  wooden  shutters,  its 
gigantic  piazza,  its  ample  halls,  and  lofty  parlor,  and 
large  library,  stored  with  volumes  of  sterling  literature, 


"He  had  retired  to  spend  his  last  days  in  the  old  mansion  and  on  the  old  estate." 

Page  501. 


THE    LITTLE    WANDERERS    ILL.  501 

which,  unlike  the  house,  will  never  be  antiquated.  On 
either  side  of  the  front  walk,  two  splendid  mimosas,  in 
full  bloom,  spread  their  wide  branches  and  gave  forth 
their  sweet  odors ;  around  many  of  the  greatest  trunks 
climbed  the  luxuriant  ivy,  and  high  amid  their  leaves 
flashed  the  brilliant  creeper-flower.  Noble  magnolias 
delighted  to  display  their  southern  glories.  More 
imposing  than  all,  a  vast  oak,  like  an  aged  patriarch, 
stretched  out  his  arms  of  blessing,  and  threw  around 
his  refreshing  circumference  of  shade. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Wellington,  an  Episcopal  clergyman, 
was  a  gentleman  of  English  descent  and  Yankee  educa 
tion.  He  had  married  a  superior  Virginia  lady  of 
distinguished  family,  and,  after  many  years  of  active 
service,  had  retired  to  spend  his  last  days  in  the  old 
mansion  and  on  the  old  estate.  But  benevolence  in  him 
was  a  flowing  fountain,  whose  streams  would  gush 
round  in  blessing.  His  Master's  work  was  still  supreme. 
All  his  spare  time  and  strength  were  devoted  to  the 
education  of  the  colored  people.  He  thus  gilded  his 
declining  years  with  the  light  of  love,  and  his  very  face 
beamed  with  the  brightness  of  his  soul.  Conservative 
by  nature,  but  with  habits  of  keenest  observation,  no 
man  in  the  country  had  so  deeply  and  thoroughly  mas 
tered  the  southern  social  and  political  problems. 

Mr.  Petrovich  and  Nicolai,  ascending  the  steps  of  the 
piazza  and  ringing  at  the  door,  were  ushered  by  a 
colored  servant  into  a  reception-room,  and  immediately 
refreshed  with  ice-water.  Their  cards  were  soon 
answered  by  Mr.  Wellington  himself,  who  met  them 


502  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

with  the  cordial  southern  hospitality.  After  some 
explanations  and  general  inquiries,  Mr.  Petrovich 
proceeded  to  the  business  of  his  visit. 

"And  now,  reverend  sir,"  he  began,  "will  you  pardon 
my  intrusion  on  your  time  and  privacy,  and  give  me 
information  on  a  subject  to  me  of  supreme  importance." 

"Place  me  at  your  disposal,  gentlemen,"  answered 
Mr.  Wellington,  with  his  frank  smile ;  "I  promise  to  do 
for  you  everything  in  my  power." 

"Thank  you,  sir;  thank  you,"  said  Mr.  Petrovich. 
"We  have  to  ask  you  concerning  a  boy  and  a  girl, 
whom,  we  are  informed,  were  at  your  house  some  weeks 
since.  They  were  wandering  over  the  country,  one  with 
a  guitar  and  the  other  with  a  harp,  and  we  were  told 
in  Halidon  that  they  had  been  in  your  own  house." 

"I  am,  indeed,  glad  that  I  can  assist  you,"  replied 
Mr.  Wellington.  "The  children  you  seek  were  sick 
here  for  more  than  two  weeks,  and  I  learned  many 
things  about  them  of  most  curious  interest." 

"  Wonderful,"  exclaimed  Nicolai.  "Now  I  am  certain 
that  we  are  on  the  right  path.  The  solution  of  the 
mystery  is  not  far  away." 

"You  will  oblige  me  exceedingly,"  rejoined  Mr. 
Petrovich,  "by  relating  fully  all  you  saw  and  heard 
that  you  may  deem  important  of  those  two  young  wan 
derers.  If  you  can  aid  me  in  my  search,  you  will 
confer  -a  lasting  obligation,  and  not  on  me  alone,  but 
also  -on  his  Majesty  of  Russia." 

"  About  a  month  since,"  resumed  Mr.  Wellington, 
now  deeply  interested,  "  while  sitting  in  my  piazza,  I 


THE    LITTLE    WANDERERS    ILL.  503 

heard  a  sweet  girl's  voice  in  a  song  accompanied  by 
harp  and  guitar.  The  music  was  so  superior  to  the 
ordinary  itinerant  grind  and  whine  that  I  called  the 
performers  to  me,  and  gave  them  some  compliments, 
and  a  small  piece  of  money.  In  a  day  or  two  they 
both  returned  and  I  perceived  in  them  the  symptoms 
of  a  burning  fever.  They  implored  my  help  and  pro 
tection  with  such  childish  earnestness  and  simplicity 
that  I  could  not  repel  them  from  my  house.  The 
fever  soon  became  fierce  and  dangerous.  Often  they 
were  in  a  delirium,  and  haunted  by  frightful  visions  of 
a  man  they  called  Ruric.  Then  their  shrieks  were 
terrible  and  their  agony  most  pitiable." 

"That  identifies  them  beyond  a  doubt,"  interrupted 
Mr.  Petrovich,  "  as  the  persons  for  whom  we  are  mak 
ing  inquiry.  Ruric  was  their  cruel  master  and  their 
greatest  dread." 

"That  I  discovered,"  said  Mr.  Wellington.  "The 
girl  especially  would  hold  up  her  hands  as  if  pursued 
by  a  spectre,  and  beg,  in  the  most  touching  tones,  for 
deliverance." 

"  Did  she  give  any  hint  who  she  was,  or  where  she 
came  from,  in  her  ravings?"  asked  Mr.  Petrovich,  with 
intense  anxiety. 

"Oh,  yes,"  answered  Mr.  "Wellington.  "She  talked 
of  her  father  and  mother  incessantly,  but  in  an  inco 
herent  way,  and  the  boy  fancied  himself  an  Indian 
prince.  But  I  attributed  what  they  said  to  the  effects 
of  their  fever." 

"Did    nothing   else    transpire  to  shed  light  on  their 


504  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

history?"  inquired    Mr.    Petrovich,    more    eagerly    than 
ever. 

"Your  question  suggests  an  important  circumstance," 
answered  Mr.  Wellington,  "  I  had  strangely  forgotten. 
When  the  physician  examined  them  in  their  sleep,  on 
each  was  found  a  most  costly  and  beautiful  locket." 

"Locket?"  exclaimed  the  gentlemen,  startled,  to 
gether. 

"Yes!  it  is,  indeed,  surprising,"  said  Mr.  Wellington, 
"  one  on  each.  That  worn  by  the  girl  was  in  two 
oval  parts  of  gold,  united  by  a  hinge,  having  on  one 
side  the  face  of  a  lady,  on  the  other  of  a  gentleman. 
The  gems  were  most  precious,  and  the  workmanship 
exquisite.  On  the  back  were  the  words  in  French — 
Ma  petite  filled 

"  This  is,  indeed,  of  consequence,"  exclaimed  Mr. 
Petrovich,  while  his  eyes  sparkled  and  his  face  glowed 
with  excitement.  "What  became  of  this  locket?" 

"Of  course,"  replied  Mr.  Wellington,  "I  had  no 
right  to  keep  things  so  precious.  We  thought  it  not 
best  even  to  tell  the  children  what  we  discovered,  and 
both  lockets,  after  examination,  were  hung  again  on 
their  necks." 

"May  I  inquire,"  said  Nicolai,  •"  what  was  the  ap 
pearance  of  the  locket  on  the  boy?  We  have  no 
immediate  interest  in  him,  but  the  information  may 
have  a  collateral  value." 

"  The  locket  of  the  lad,"  responded  the  clergyman, 
"was  even  more  valuable  and  beautiful  than  that  of 
the  girl.  It  glittered  with  gems.  On  it  was  the 


THE    LITTLE    WANDERERS    ILL.  505 

face  of  a  man  with  a  flowing  beard  and  a  turbaned 
head,  and  evidently  a  prince,  if  I  might  judge  by  his 
royal  look.  Beneath,  in  Arabic,  was  the  name — Hyder 
AIL" 

"What  became  of  the  children?"  asked  Mr.  Petro- 
vich,  with  overwhelming  interest,  "  I  suppose  they 
went  away  together." 

"  Yes ;  after  their  recovery,"  responded  Mr.  Welling 
ton.  "  I  saw  them  in  that  wood  in  eager  conversation 
with  a  lad  who  was  either  a  Japanese  or  a  Chinese. 
They  came  back  to  the  house,  offered  me  a  compensa 
tion,  which,  of  course,  was  refused  ;  thanked  me,  with 
tears  in  their  eyes,  and,  taking  their  instruments, 
started  forth  sadly  on  their  journey." 

After  this  conversation,  ceaseless  efforts  were  made 
to  discover  in  what  direction  Lil  and  Tip  had  gone. 
All  was  in  vain.  The  pursuit  was  once  more  baffled, 
and  a  cloud  again  settled  over  everything.  Ling, 
however,  was  never  discouraged.  He  seemed  armed 
with  an  invincible  patience,  affirming  that  another 
paper  from  his  confederate  in  New  York  would  soon 
arrive  and  shed  light  on  their  path. 

While  thus  compelled  to  wait,  Mr.  Petrovich  and 
Nicolai  called  on  Mr.  Wellington,  to  thank  him  for  his 
kind  offices.  The  clergyman  said  to  them  : 

"  Would  you  not  like  to  see  the    commencement    of 
my  colored  school  ?      Our   year    is    just    closing,    and   I 
think  you  will  be  interested  in  the  exercises  which  are 
to  be  held  in  a  church,  of  itself  a  curiosity.     I  strongly' 
advise  you  to  come  with  me.      You  will  learn  much  that 


506  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

will  enable  you  to  understand  better  our  complicated  negro 
problem." 

The  gentlemen  gladly  assenting,  they  were  soon  on 
their  way  to  the  place. 

Crowning  a  hill,  they  saw  a  cruciform  edifice  made 
of  hewn  pine  logs.  The  roof  was  steep,  and  the  wide 
eaves  appeared  almost  to  reach  the  ground.  Ivy 
wreathed  itself  over  the  gables  of  the  building  and  parts 
of  the  sides,  climbing  here  and  there  to  the  apex,  and 
the  chatter  of  birds  told  that  they  had  found  a  wel 
come  home.  The  pine,  the  maple,  the  oak,  and  the 
chestnut  stood  around  with  their  mingling  shadows,  and 
just  below  was  a  sparkling  spring.  A  rustic  altar, 
and  a  chancel-rail  of  twisting  vines,  and  a  lecturn  and 
pulpit  in  a  corresponding  style,  evinced  the  taste  of  both 
the  architect  and  the  clergyman. 

Many  people  had  assembled  in  and  around  the  edifice. 
The  spectators  were  mostly  colored,  but  some  whites 
were  looking  curiously,  perhaps  a  little  cynically.  The 
exercises  began  with  a  brief  prayer  and  a  few  verses 
from  the  Bible.  Then  occurred  an  exhibition,  until  our 
own  age,  impossible  in  the  history  of  the  world.  Little 
colored  children,  almost  infants,  emitted  from  between 
their  shining  teeth  short  speeches,  and  lisped  through 
simple  dialogues ;  the  larger  boys  declaimed  creditably ; 
four  preachers,  black,  and  grave  heads  of  families,  who, 
after  years  spent  as  religious  teachers  had  first  learned 
to  read,  stumbled  through  their  parts— one  mulatto  girl 
declaimed  Hiawatha,  kneeling  in  her  tragic  agony, 
clasping  her  hands,  and  lifting  her  eyes  toward 


THE    LITTLE    WANDERERS    ILL.  507 

heaven.  The  orator  of  the  occasion,  whose  name  was 
White,  although  dark  as  ebony,  proved  himself  quite 
an  African  Demosthenes. 

After  these  intellectual  exercises,  followed  a  more 
animalistic  employment.  Beneath  the  trees,  an  ample 
luncheon  was  spread  by  the  negroes,  and  to  which  they 
invited  the  gentlemen,  waiting  on  them  with  delicate 
and  dignified  courtesy,  and  afterward  partaking  them 
selves  with  the  most  eager  and  evident  satisfaction.  A 
procession  through  the  grove,  with  songs  wild  and 
loud,  closed  the  exercises  of  the  day,  and  then,  men, 
women  and  children,  seated  in  groups,  discussed  busily 
what  they  had  seen  and  heard. 

Mr.  Petrovich  and  Nicolai,  standing  by  Mr.  Welling 
ton,  under  the  limbs  of  a  great  tulip  poplar,  watched 
the  scene  with  profound  attention.  The  first  gentleman 
exclaimed  : 

"  This  is,  indeed,  a  picture !  A  scene  never  to  be 
forgotten !  We  may  read  here  the  future  of  a  race 
and  of  a  continent.  I  can  scarcely  believe  it  possible 
that  any  of  these  people  were  ever  slaves.  Here  I 
behold  the  only  possible  solution  to  the  negro  problem. 
Its  key  is  a  Christian  education." 

"  That  is  my  conclusion,"  answered  Mr.  Wellington, 
greatly  gratified.  "Many  questions,  social  and  political, 
arise,  which  I  cannot  answer.  But  upon  the  duty  of 
educating,  there  can  be  but  a  single  opinion." 
,  "I  am  astonished,"  continued  Mr.  Petrovich,  "at 
the  exercises  of  this  day,  which,  while  sometimes 
amusing,  were  certainly  creditable  and  encouraging." 


508  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

"The  aptness  of  some  of  my  scholars,"  said  Mr. 
Wellington,  "is  often  surprising.  Generally,  they  are 
quick  to  learn.  A  few  have  decided  talent,  and  others 
are  hopelessly  stupid.  They  are  governed  much  more 
easily  than  white  children,  are  naturally  more  religious, 
and  in  refinement  of  feeling  they  are  remarkable." 

"Are  they  the  equals  of  the  Saxons?"  inquired 
Nicolai. 

"  In  quickness  of  intelligence  and  delicacy  of  percep 
tion,  they  are,"  replied  Mr.  Wellington,  decidedly; 
"but  by  no  means  in  courage,  in  enterprise,  in  intel 
lectual  depth  and  breadth,  and  in  power  and  loftiness 
of  character.  And  yet,  even  in  these  respects,  there 
are  individual  instances  of  a  high  endowment.  The 
Saxons  have  those  attributes  which  will  always  make 
them  the  dominant  race." 

"  But  I  see  faces  here  indicating  rugged  and 
invincible  purpose,"  said  Mr.  Petrovich.  "The  lines 
cannot  be  mistaken." 

"You  are  right,"  answered  Mr.  Wellington.  "I 
spoke  only  in  general  terms.  See  that  great,  black 
fellow,  laughing,  near  the  door !  He  was  half  his  life 
a  slave.  Yet  after  ten  years  of  labor  and  economy, 
he  has  made  his  last  payment,  and  obtained  clear  title 
to  a  large  farm,  which  is  the  best  managed  and  most 
productive  in  the  neighborhood.  His  wife  has  been  his 
equal  in  thrift  and  industry." 

''Are  such  instances  numerous?"  inquired  Mr. 
Petrovich. 

"  I    am     sorry     to     say    they     are     not,"     said     Mr. 


THE    LITTLE    WANDERERS    ILL.  509 

Wellington.  "Usually  the  negro  cannot  think  thus  for 
himself.  Yet  there  are  instances  of  rare  independence 
of  character.  Mark  that  clerical-looking  man,  with  his 
white  tie  and  distinctive  African  features  !  He  is  forty 
years  of  age,  and  has  two  grown  daughters.  A  year 
since  he  was  an  itinerant  preacher  who  could  not  read. 
He  sold  his  horse,  and  came  here  to  learn  his  letters, 
and  is  now  well  advanced  in  the  elementary  branches 
of  knowledge." 

"Remarkable,  indeed!"  exclaimed  Nicolai.  "Do  the 
women  ever  show  the  same  desire  to  learn  ? " 

"  I  can  point  to  you  in  these  groups,"  replied  Mr. 
Wellington,  "  six  married  women,  one  a  grandmother, 
who  have  walked  many  miles  every  Saturday  for  a 
year,  and  now  each  one  of  them  can  read  her  Bible." 

"Surely,  your  neighborhood  must  be  a  remarkable 
one,  and  your  own  methods  of  teaching  unusually 
fruitful  ! "  interposed  Nicolai  again. 

"In  this  region  the  masters  were  almost  invariably 
kind,"  said  Mr.  Wellington,  "  and  they  have  left  their 
traces  on  the  entire  population.  About  the  towns, 
the  negroes  are  almost  hopeless  pilferers,  idle  and  dissi 
pated,  and,  in  the  far  South,  seem  often  simply  bestial 
and  irreclaimable  pagans.  All  that  relates  to  the  race 
is  complicated  and  bewildering." 

"How  merry  and  ringing  is  that  laugh  !"  remarked 
Mr.  Petrovich.  "Many  of  these  people  certainly  have 
great  humor.  The  eye  often  gleams,  the  thick  lips 
have  a  peculiar  grin,  and  every  feature  is  stamped 
with  jollity." 


510  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

"Wit,  too,  they  sometimes  exhibit,"  said  Mr. 
Wellington,  "as  well  as  humor.  See  that  little 
weakened  negress  at  the  foot  of  the  maple  ?  That  is 
Aunt  Elsie.  She  /ras  once  praying  in  her  cabin,  in 
great  distress,  for  bread.  Some  mischievous  boys, 
hearing  her,  resolved  to  answer  her  supplications. 
They  obtained  a  few  loaves,  and  rolled  them  down  her 
chimney.  When  they  tumbled  on  the  floor  at  her  feet, 
she  was  at  first  astonished,  and  then  she  burst  out  into 
words  of  pr&ise  and  gratitude.  While  thus  ecstatic, 
the  rogues,  opening  the  door,  cried,  'Oh,  Aunt  Elsie, 
it  wasn't  the  Lord !  We  rolled  them  down  the 
chimney  ! '  Looking  at  the  boys  earnestly  a  moment, 
and  then  lifting  her  spectacles,  the  pious  old  negress 
replied,  'Wall,  du  Lawd  sent  dat  bread,  if  de  debel 
brought  it.'" 

''Good,  indeed!"  exclaimed  Nicolai.  "Pious  and 
pointed  !  The  wit  of  Voltaire  and  the  theology  of  St. 
Gregory ! " 

The  gentlemen  laughed  heartily,  and  many  eyes 
turned  toward  them  their  white  inquiring  balls. 

"On  the  other  hand,"  resumed  Mr.  Wellington,  "we 
have  instances  of  the  most  hopeless  stupidity  and  igno 
rance.  Sometimes  conscience  seems  absolutely  dead. 
Voters  sell  themselves  for  trifles.  In  office,  the  negro 
has  been  an  absurd  and  grotesque  failure.  His  mis 
takes  were  amusing  and  his  peculations  monstrous  and 
astounding.  One  very  funny  thing  I  must  relate  to 
you.  Do  you  see  that  ebony  giant  at  the  head  of  the 
table,  burying  his  black  face  in  a  huge  melon  ?  He 


THE    LITTLE    WANDERERS    ILL.  511 

was  elected  sheriff  of  our  county.  Shortly  after  a  man 
was  committed  to  jail  in  the  usual  form  for  thirty 
days.  It  was  just  after  the  war  and  the  jail  was 
exceedingly  out  of  repair.  Our  prosecuting  attorney, 
anxious  to  hear  how  the  prisoner  had  been  kept  in  so 
insecure  a  place,  inquired:  'Uncle  Tom,  how  did  you 
manage  with  Bill  Dickey  in  that  old  jail,  so  that  he 
didn't  give  you  the  slip?'' 

"Easy,  Massa !  berry  easy,  sare,"  answered  Uncle 
Tom.  "  Bill  Dickey  honest  fellow.  He  went  home 
ebbery  night,  and  comes  back  next  mornin'." 

"  But,  Uncle  Tom,  was  that  carrying  out  the  sentence 
of  the  court  ? " 

"  'Zackly,  Massa,  'zackly,"  replied  our  wise  jailer. 
"Judge  said  thirty  days,  said  nuffin'  'bout  nights.'" 

After  the  gentlemen  had  enjoyed  their  laugh,  Nicolai 
inquired  .- 

"Are  not  the  negroes  fanatical  in  their  religious 
dispositions  ?  I  have  heard  it  asserted  that,  after  all 
their  professions  of  Christianity,  they  are  in  their  hearts 
and  lives  still  heathen." 

"  A  great  mistake,"  said  Mr.  Wellington.  "  Often, 
indeed,  their  meetings  are  scenes  of  the  most  frenzied 
excitement.  Their  screams  seem  diabolical  and  their  . 
actions  those  of  demoniacs.  This  madness  many  think 
religion,  and  never  connect  it  with  a  good  conscience 
and  a  right  life.  One  minister,  in  the  midst  of  the 
most  tumultuous  uproar,  excused  himself,  and  five 
minutes  after  was  shot  dead  in  a  neighbor's  crib  in  the 
act  of  stealing  his  corn.  An  old  apostate  white 


512  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

who  mocked  his  former  faith  by  baptizing  an  opossum 
in  the  name  of  the  Trinity,  can  even  now  stir  them 
into  furious  religious  excitements.  Yet,  in  the  midst 
of  these  excesses,  I  find  examples  of  the  most  perfect, 
beautiful  and  intelligent  piety.  I  wish  some  of  our  own 
extreme  clergymen  were  half  as  well  grounded  in  the 
orthodox  faith  as  many  of  these  very  negroes.  Their 
knowledge  of  Scripture  is  often  wonderful,  and  their 
perceptions  of  duty  clear  and  powerful." 

"May  I  venture  a  question,  suggested  by  the  con 
dition  of  our  own  freed  serfs  ? "  inquired  Mr.  Petrovich. 
*I  expect  to  report  your  answer  to  his  Majesty.  Has 
the  emancipation  of  the  negro  been  a  benefit  or  an 
injury  ?  " 

*<•!  answer,  without  hesitation,  '  A  benefit ! ' "  replied 
Mr.  Wellington,  instantly.  "Freedom  is  right  and 
therefore*  best.  Yet,  in  particular  cases,  it  often  appears 
otherwise.  On  many  of  our  old  plantations,  life  was 
truly  patriarchal.  Frequently  I  have  seen  a  wise  and 
kind  master,  almost  a  type  of  human  happiness,  and  his 
slaves  apparently  as  contented  as  mortals  can  be  in  this 
world  of  evil  and  anxiety.  I  could  draw  in  bright 
colors  some  beautiful  pictures  of  the  ancient  plantations. 
But  by  a  few  owners  in  this  region,  and  often  in  the 
rice,  sugar  and  cotton  fields  of  the  distant  south,  the 
slave  was  cruelly  worked.  Occasionally  he  was  the 
victim  of  a  mere  tyrant.  Lust,  too,  was  debasing  and 
ruinous.  Besides,  in  his  most  favored  condition,  there 
was  always  over  the  slave  the  shadow  of  a  fear,  lest 
the  death  or  pecuniary  necessities  of  a  good  master 


THE    LITTLE    WANDERERS    ILL.  513 

might  force  sales  and  separations.  Dark  a3  are  some 
of  the  difficulties  yet  before  us,  I  believe  that  emanci 
pation  will  prove  a  blessing  to  both  races  and  to  our 
entire  country.  Under  a  common  flag  we  will  now 
work  out  a  great  and  noble  destiny." 

"  I  fear  that  I  have  wearied  you,"  said  Mr.  Petrovich, 
smiling;  "and  yet  I  am  tempted  by  my  great  interest, 
and  that  of  my  country,  in  these  questions,  to  make 
another  inquiry.  Do  you  think  the  races  will  com 
mingle,  and  the  negroes  ever  lose  their  distinctive 
color,  form,  and  physiognomy  ? " 

" Never!  in  my  opinion,"  answered  Mr.  Wellington, 
decidedly.  "  The  barriers  seem  to  me  impassable.  I 
infer  the  future  from  the  past.  After  two  centuries, 
the  races  are  still  distinct." 

"Then,  it  seems  to  me,"  replied  Mr.  Petrovich, 
"that  the  negro  problem  is  not  only  unsolved,  but 
insolvable.  In  the  emancipation  of  our  serfs,  time  will 
overthrow  the  separating  barriers ;  while  with  you, 
there  is  a  difference  of  races,  and  consequently  of  social 
classes  and  political  interests,  made  by  the  Almighty 
himself,  ineradicable  in  our  human  nature.  This  is, 
to  me,  the  most  ominous  and  mysterious  aspect  of  the 
whole  bewildering  subject." 

"This  I  concede,"  said  Mr.  "Wellington,  sadly  and 
thoughtfully.  "My  only  hope  is  in  doing  right. 
Freedom  is  right,  education  is  right,  social  elevation 
is  right.  Beyond  this  I  have  no  sure  light.  Nothing 
can  be  more  trying  than  our  practical  difficulties  at 
this  moment.  The  negro  has  a  legal  title  to  vote  and 


514  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

hold  office.  Give  him  his  rights,  and  we  have  all  the 
absurdities  and  monstrosities,  in  some  States  and  many 
counties,  of  negro  rule  !  Hence,  to  keep  him  from  the 
ballot-box,  fraud  and  violence  are  practised  by  men 
otherwise  reliable  and  excellent.  It  is  hard  to  blame 
them,  and  hard  to  excuse  them.  I  have  one  hope  in 
the  future.  Soon  the  South  will  invite  Northern  capital 
and  foreign  immigration,  and  be  a  hive  of  industry, 
in  which  the  white  population  will  preponderate  and 
control  the  negro,  and  thus  give  us,  in  effect,  a  homo 
geneous  society  and  government.  As  colored  men 
increase  in  intelligence  and  property,  they  will  be  more 
and  more  inclined  to  escape  their  embarrassments  here 
by  migrating  to  those  noble  states  yet  to  be  founded 
amid  the  beautiful  lakes  and  healthful  mountains  of 
interior  Africa.  If  this  be  a  dream,  I  feel  certain 
that  Heaven  will  open  some  better  way,  and  that  our 
Flag  will  float  forever,  a  symbol  of  union,  over  our 
whole  glorious  land." 

The  gentlemen  now  separated,  and  we  will  soon 
relate  what  ensued  after  this  most  interesting  conver 
sation. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE    GREAT    STRIKE'S    TRIUMPH    AND    DEFEAT. 

OVEMENTS     of     minds     sometimes 
resemble  those  of  avalanches.    See 
in  the  mountain  gorge  that  glitter 
ing  pile,  waiting  the  touch  of  one 
more  sunbeam  before  it   thunders 
over    its   precipice    and  whitens  the  valley 
with     its    ruin !       Ages  formed    it,    but    a 
moment  lets  it  loose. 

Over  the  whole  country  was  a  vast 
organized  strike.  Local  associations  of 
;  the  toilers,  in  their  successive  gradations, 
communicated  with  each  other,  and  finally 
were  brought  under  one  supreme  directing 
Head.  Funds  were  abundant.  There  were  signs  and 
countersigns,  and,  over  all,  a  certain  mystery  specially 
attractive  to  the  uneducated.  Labor  contemplated 
bringing  Capital  into  subjection.  It  was  intended  to 
obstruct  railroads,  stop  the  way  of  trade  to  markets, 
foreign  and  domestic,  and,  if  necessary,  overthrow  the 
Government  itself.  And  the  plan  seemed  feasible.  It 
relied  on  the  power  of  numbers,  and  their  essential 
daily  work  in  supplying  the  essential  daily  needs  of 
the  country.  The  conspirators  argued  that,  without 


518  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

blood,  the  body  politic  must  expire,  and  that  labor 
was  the  blood  of  the  body  politic,  whose  life  or  death 
were  at  their  disposal.  Over  the  whole  land,  the 
stupendous  scheme  had  extended  itself.  The  avalanche 
was  in  suspense.  A  touch,  a  ray,  a  breath,  will  start 
its  gigantic  mass. 

The  impulse  was  not  long  wanting.  Saul  Bidman's 
advice  to  Walter  Sparker  was  the  remote  cause  of  the 
ruin.  Its  immediate  cause  was  the  death  of  Belle 
Standfast.  The  fiery  passions  awakened  by  her  wrongs 
precipitated  the  strike,  already  organized  and  awaiting 
such  a  propulsive  power.  Workingmen  identified  them 
selves  with  her  family.  A  son  of  Capital  had 
wantonly  seduced,  disgraced,  and  destroyed  a  daughter 
of  Labor.  Socialistic  orators  were  keen  to  take  advan 
tage  of  the  fact,  and  trumpet  it  abroad.  The  father, 
indeed,  said  nothing,  but  he  was  a  silent  man,  and  it 
was  taken  for  granted  that  he  was  ready  for  revenge, 
and  would  act  with  the  orders  against  the  class  from 
which  had  proceeded  such  a  mortal  injury.  The  air 
was  full  of  flame.  Ruric  seemed  inspired  with  a 
demoniac  eloquence.  He  was  a  torch  over  the  land. 
His  hour  had  come.  An  angel  of  ruin  could  not  have 
been  better  qualified  for  his  work.  Mobs  were  incited, 
shops  were  occupied,  railroads  were  seized,  trains  were 
plundered,  depots  were  destroyed,  cities  were  in  a 
blaze.  Capital,  for  the  hour,  was  prostrate  before 
Labor.  States  were  paralyzed.  Even  the  Federal 
Government  doubted  whether  it  could  protect  the  lives 
and  property  of  its  citizens.  Belle  Standfast's  name 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE'S    TRIUMPH    AND    DEFEAT.  519 

was     a     watchword     over     the    land.      It     started     the 
avalanche. 

On  the  night  before  the  strike  was  to  burst  over 
Alma,  two  men  might  have  been  seen  moving  stealthily 
in  the  shadows  to  the  house  of  General  Adam 
Sparker.  They  evidently  wished  to  avoid  observation, 
and,  stepping  lightly  over  the  porch,  they  tapped  at 
the  rear  door,  and  were  admitted.  After  waiting  a 
few  minutes,  Edward  Stewart  and  John  Standfast 
.  found  themselves  in  the  library  of  General  Sparker 
who  sat  in  his  customary  chair,  but  looking  sad  and 
worn. 

The  old  President  and  his  trusted  shop-master  had 
not  met  since  the  tragic  day  appointed  for  a  wedding, 
and  made  preparative  for  a  funeral.  Each,  as  ever, 
esteemed  the  other.  Explanations  were  unnecessary. 
Death  lacerates,  but  cannot  divide  true  hearts.  John 
Standfast  knew  that  Adam  Sparker  abhorred  the  con 
duct  of  his  son,  and  had  done  all  in  his  power  to 
repair  the  infamous  wrong.  This  was  sufficient.  The 
eyes  of  the  friends  met,  and  their  hands  grasped  in 
all  the  warmth  of  their  old  love,  esteem  and  confi 
dence. 

"Well,  John,"  began  the  General,  after  a  brief  and 
impressive  silence  ;  "  the  hour  you  foresaw  has  arrived. 
You  were  a  true  prophet.  We  will  soon  be  in  the 
midst  of  tumult,  violence  and  bloodshed.  To  me  this 
is  a  fearful  disappointment.  I  had  hoped  better  things, 
and  believed  that  our  men  would  not  desert  me. 
However,  I  have  long  since  found  in  this  world  that 


520  KNIGHTS  OF  LABOR. 

we  must  accept  the  situation,   and  do  not  as  we  would, 
but  as  we  can." 

"Yes,  General,"  answered  John,  "it  is  worse  than 
I  predicted.  This  Strike  covers  the  whole  country. 
Even  some  of  our  most  reliable  men  are  caught  in  the 
snare.  Nearly  all  seem  on  fire.  Ruric  has  stirred 
their  worst  passions,  and  many  are  eager  for  blood 
and  flames." 

"This  grieves  me  deeply,"  cried  the  General,  with 
a  tear  in  his  eye.  "Mr.  Stewart,  I  understand  that 
you  sent  telegrams  to  the  Governor  and  the  President 
for  troops  to  protect  the  property  of  the  Company." 

"I  was  forced  to  take  the  responsibility,  General," 
replied  Edward.  "But  the  soldiers  of  the  State  can 
not  be  relied  on.  The  hearts  of  our  militia  are  with 
the  mob,  and,  when  the  crisis  comes,  rather  than  fire 
they  fraternize,  and  even  turn  their  muskets  against 
those  they  were  sent  to  protect.  Our  Federal  troops 
cannot  reach  us  on  account  of  the  obstruction  on  the 
railroads." 

"Then,  it  seems,  we  are  utterly  abandoned,  and  at 
the  mercy  of  the  mob,"  exclaimed  the  General.  "Who 
will  defend  our  shops  and.  the  other  property  of  the 
Company  ?  It  is  even  worse  than  I  feared." 

"  But,  General,"  interposed  John,  hastily ;  "  I  have 
one  comfort  for  you.  Ten  of  the  men  relieved  in  your 
hospital,  and  the  three  old  fellows  supported  by  your 

Veteran's  Fund  have   offered   their  services,    and    swear 

% 

they  will  die  in  your  defense.     Indeed,   they  now  stand 
guard,  and  will  shed  their  blood,    if    necessary." 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE'S    TRIUMPH    AND    DEFEAT.  521 

"This  is,  indeed,  one  bright  ray  in  our  gloom," 
said  the  General,  as  the  tears  rained  from  his  eyes, 
and  his  voice  and  form  trembled  with  emotion.  "I  am 
glad  of  this.  After  all,  I  have  not  mistaken  human 
nature.  We  will  triumph  in  the  end.  I  have  relied 
on  justice  and  benevolence  as  my  arms,  and  Heaven 
will  give  us  the  victory,  perhaps  at  the  sacrifice  of 
my  own  life." 

'  '  And  do  you  remember  drunken  Pat  Corrigan  ? " 
inquired  John.  "  Against  the  protests  of  all  your 
friends,  you  gave  him  work  on  your  lawn,  and  kept 
his  family  from  beggary.  He  has  sworn  away  from 
whisky  at  last,  confessed  to  the  priest,  taken  the  com 
munion  once  more,  and,  I  believe,  that  he  will  fight 
for  us,  until  the  last  drop— Stewart  says  of  whisky, 
but  I  think  of  blood.  To-morrow  will  prove  who 
is  right.  Drunkard  as  Pat  is,  he  has  a  warm  and 
true  Irish  heart." 

"  I  take  hope  from  this,  slight  as  it  may  seem," 
answered  the  General,  slowly  and  thoughtfully.  "  It  is 
pleasant  to  know  that  we  are  not  wholly  betrayed  and 
abandoned.  You,  my  friends,  I  knew  could  be  trusted, 
under  all  circumstances.  What  do  you  propose  for 
to-morrow  ?  " 

"We  have  the  ten  hospital  men,  the  three  veterans, 
Pat  Corrigan,  John  and  myself— in  all,  sixteeen— and 
we  are  resolved  to  defend  our  post  while  we  have  a 
charge  of  powder  and  a  bullet  for  the  mob,  should 
they  be  numerous  as  wolves  and  fierce  as  tigers.  Your 
three  old  rheumatic  fellows  hobbled  to  the  shop  on  their 


522  KNIGHTS    OF   LABOR. 

crutches,  and  I  believe  the  very  sight  of  them  will 
scare  or  shame  a  hundred  wild  beasts." 

The  General  smiled.  He  was  contented.  Such 
fidelity  shed  a  beauty  and  a  glory  over  his  closing 
life. 

"Thank  you,  my  friends,"  he  exclaimed,  grasping 
their  hands.  "  Thank  you.  My  heart  is  full.  Your 
loyalty  has  saved  my  old  age  from  despair.  Now  I 
am  willing  to  die,  and  I  feel  that  my  departure  is 
near.  It  is  but  a  step  to  Paradise." 

"But,  General,"  interposed  Standfast,  "will  you  not 
accept  part  of  our  guard  for  yourself  ?  We  are  willing 
to  divide.  At  least  take  the  veterans,"  he  added, 
laughing. 

"Never,  John!  never!"  said  the  General  vehemently. 
"I  would  not  have  one  of  their  crutches,  much  less 
their  muskets.  For  myself,  I  trust  in  the  Almighty. 
I  need  no  other  shield.  Powder  and  lead  will  never 
be  used  by  me  against  my  men,  even  should  they 
make  me  their  victim." 

"Your  words  suggest  to  me,"  interrupted  Edward, 
"what  had  not  occurred  before.  Dr.  Bidman  is  in 
mortal  peril.  The  hatred  toward  him  is  without  a 
limit,  and  on  him  the  storm  will  first  discharge  itself. 
His  house  is  a  fortress,  but,  his  guards  are  not  to  be 
trusted.  Even  his  money  cannot  bribe  them  into  his 
defense.  At  the  first  appearance  of  the  mob,  he  will 
be  deserted." 

"  Ha ! "  exclaimed  the  General,  "  I  had  not  thought 
of  that.  This  is,  indeed,  terrible.  I  fear  the  worst, 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE'S    TRIUMPH    AND    DEFEAT.  523 

and  see  no  escape  for  him.  He  that  taketh  the  sword, 
it  seems,  is  to  perish  by  the  sword.  What  is  your 
opinion,  John  ?" 

"I  agree  entirely  with  Mr.  Stewart,"  answered 
Standfast. 

"  Then,"  said  the  General,  "  we  must  make  an  effort 
to  save  him.  I  can  tell  you  what  to  do,  but  it  is 
necessary  to  communicate  to  you  a  great  secret,  known 
only  to  three  persons.  The  Doctor,  in  his  alarm, 
caused  a  subterranean  passage  to  be  dug  from  his  house 
to  mine,  by  a  workman  sworn  and  paid  never  to  dis 
close  the  fact.  John,  will  you  not  go  and  persuade 
him  to  make  his  refuge  with  me  ?  Here  he  will  have 
at  least  a  chance  for  his  life,  whereas,  there,  death  is 
certain.  I  fear  that  he  will  not  be  convinced,  and  I 
know  that  he  has  no  title  to  your  kindness." 

"Do  not  think  of  that,  General,"  replied  Standfast, 
at  once.  "I  will  save  him  if  I  can." 

He  received  from  his  aged  friend  the  keys  of  the 
door  of  the  passage,  listened  to  his  directions,  struck  a 
match,  seized  and  lighted  a  lamp  he  saw  on  the  table, 
and  proceeded  on  his  errand.  Groping  in  the  dim  rays, 
beneath  the  earth,  he  at  last  emerged  into  the  cellar 
of  his  enemy,  and,  mounting  the  stairs,  knocked  at  the 
room  where  he  supposed  Bidman  most  likely  to  be 
found.  Nor  was  he  mistaken.  A  hollow  voice  bade 
him  enter.  Before  him  was  his  foe  in  ghastly  terror. 
Yes  !  Bidman  is  confronted  by  the  father  whose  daugh 
ter  had  been  disgraced,  frenzied,  killed  by  that  fatal 
advice  to  Walter  Sparker.  Blood  was  on  the  soul  of 


524  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

the  coward,  and  he  thought  that  the  hour  of  vengeance 
had  now  come.  In  his  insane  alarm,  he  seized,  cocked, 
and  levelled  his  revolver,  crying  : 

"  John  Standfast,  stop  !  Come  no  nearer !  Why 
are  you  here  ?  Explain  !  Advance  another  step  and 
I  will  shoot  you." 

"I  am  here  by  the  command  of  General  Sparker 
for  your  own  good.  A  ball  from  your  pistol  through 
my  heart  would  destroy  your  last  hope  of  life." 

"How  did  you  come?"  gasped  Bidman,  in  horrible 
fear.  "  Did  my  guards  admit  you  against  my  orders  ? 
Have  you  bought  them  ?  or  have  they  deserted  ?  Tell 
me  how  you  got  here  and  what  you  want." 

As  he  talked,  his  teeth  chattered  and  his  flesh  quiv 
ered  in  his  fright. 

"I  came  through  the  underground  passage  by  the 
General's  direction,"  answered  Standfast,  gazing  into  the 
eye  of  his  foe. 

"It's  a  lie! "howled  Bidman.  "General  Sparker 
lies.  You  lie  yourself.  It's  a  cursed  plan  to  ruin  me." 

"But  Doctor,"  said  John,  "here  is  the  proof  of  my 
commission.  In  my  hand  I  hold  the  keys  of  the  pas 
sage  given  me  by  your  father-in-law.  I  have  come  to- 
inform  you  that  your  guards  will  not  suffer  your 
escape,  and  yet  will  betray  you  when  the  moment  of 
peril  arrives.  These  men  have  sworn  to  have  your 
life,  and  you  are  wholly  in  their  power.  Your  only 
safety  is  with  General  Sparker.  His  influence  may 
protect  you.  I  advise  you  to  come  with  me  through 
the  secret  way  to  his  house." 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE'S    TRIUMPH    AND    DEFEAT.  525 

"Another  lie!"  exclaimed  Bidman,  aghast  and 
scarcely  knowing  what  he  said.  "  You  are  all  against 
me  and  mean  my  ruin.  My  money  will  keep  my 
men  true.  Nothing  else  will.  Gold,  I  tell  you,  gold 
is  my  hope.  I  am  safe,  by  Heaven,  I  am  safe  in 
this  place.  I  can't  die,  and  I  won't  die,  and  I'll  never 
leave.  Go  !  I  don't  want  your  help  !  Begone !  The 
sight  of  you  crazes  me !  Out  of  my  room,  John 
Standfast." 

"  I  will  obey  you,  Doctor,  in  a  moment,"  answered 
the  noble  man,  unmoved  by  the  insult.  "  But  first  I 
would  persuade  you.  Don't  throw  away  your  only 
chance  of  life.  The  State  soldiers  have  proved  treach 
erous,  the  Federal  troops  cannot  reach  us,  and  when 
the  mob  attacks  you  they  will  show  no  mercy.  I 
have  come  to  save  you,  only  to  be  met  with  insults 
and  a  pistol,  and  I  can  only  once  more  beg  you  to 
follow  my  advice,  and  not  fling  away  your  only  chance 
of  flight  and  safety." 

"John,"  replied  Bidman,  in  a  more  subdued  tone. 
"  I  acknowledge  that  I  suspected  you  where,  I  hope, 
you  intended  me  no  harm.  But  I  must  decline  your 
offer,  and  remain  in  my  own  house,  which  is  so 
strongly  fortified  that  I  believe  I  can  hold  out  until 
the  troops  come  for  my  rescue." 

Having  said  this,  Bidman  paused,  evidently  desiring 
no  further  interruption,  and  Standfast  had  to  leave  him 
to  his  fate. 

It  seemed  impossible  for  the  doomed  wretch  to  con 
ceive  in  the  breast  of  the  man  he  had  wronged  any- 


526  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

thing  except  the  hate  and  vengeance  which  burned  in 
his  own.  His  dark  soul  made  him  suspect  that  even 
General  Sparker  was  a  confederate  for  his  injury. 
How  dreadful  is  guilt  thus  left  to  itself!  The  rich 
rascal  is  alone  in  the  world !  Not  one  to  help  him ! 
How  vain  the  gold  on  which  he  depends  for  his  life ! 
He  has  realized  the  dreams  of  his  ambition  !  The 
place  he  coveted  he  has  reached  !  His  wealth  is 
fabulous.  Yet  not  on  earth  one  friend,  and  in  Heaven 
vengeance  instead  of  defense !  Success  crowns  a 
spectre  rather  than  a  man !  The  ghosts  of  an  evil 
past  are  rising  round  to  mock  him  in  his  lonely,  help 
less  misery.  Who  can  estimate  his  tortures  as  he 
walks  restlessly  through  his  splendid  mansion  ?  Those 
ample  rooms,  those  stately  halls,  that  costly  furniture, 
—pictures,  vases,  statues— what  gilded  trumpery  now ! 
The  flowers  of  his  conservatory,  in  their  innocent 
beauty,  seem  laughing  at  him.  He  starts  and  trembles 
as  he  sees  his  ghastly  face  in  a  magnificent  mirror ! 
One  night  has  done  the  work  of  years,  and  he  gazes 
on  an  old  man.  His  words  to  Walter  Sparker,  coun 
selling  desertion  and  dishonor,  are  burning  about  him 
in  a  glaring  flame  that  points  his  path  to  destruc 
tion. 

The  eventful  day  began  in  gloom.  Occasional  clouds 
drifted  over  the  sun,  and  the  air  was  chilled  by  thick 
mists.  As  the  morning  advanced  the  whole  sky  became 
obscured.  Great  masses  of  black  clouds  piled  to  the 
zenith  their  threatening  forms,  often  quivering  with 
lightnings,  and  growling  with  low  thunders.  Not  a 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE'S    TRIUMPH    AND    DEFEAT.  527 

sound  is  in  the  shops.  The  puffing  engine,  the  rattling 
band,  the  cutting  drill,  the  shrill  file,  the  clinking  ham- 
mar—all  are  ominously  silent.  No  fire  glows  in  the 
furnace  of  a  locomotive  and  no  smoke  ascends  in  sign 
of  active  work.  Whole  trains  of  cars  are  on  the 
sidings  and  stretched  in  lines  along  the  road.  Over  all 
are  the  chill  and  gloom  and  silence  of  desertion  and 
death.  In  every  section  of  the  Republic  were  experi 
enced  the  ruinous  effects  of  the  Great  Strike. 

After  breakfast  some  few  workmen  assembled,  pipe 
in  mouth,  and  stood  around,  with  hands  in  pockets, 
discussing  the  situation.  Each  moment  the  numbers 
increase.  Now  the  grounds  are  filled.  A  few  of  the 
men  have  rifles,  many  pistols,  nearly  all  knives,  or 
daggers.  While  talking,  their  looks  are  dark  and 
sullen,  and  they  pull  at  their  pipes  with  a  savage 
earnestness,  speaking  in  low  tones,  and  often  shaking 
their  heads  with  gestures  of  discontent,  and  even  of 
vengeance.  Young  drinking  lads,  and  red-eyed,  bloated 
men  are  specially  noisy  and  blasphemous.  Let  us 
approach  and  hear  from  their  lips  what  passes  in  their 
hearts  ! 

" Hurrah!"  cried  Ned  Bunce.  "Our  day's  come,  and 
we'll  have  it  all  our  own  way  now  !  Capital  can't  do 
without  Labor  more  nor  a  man  without  his  legs.  Let 
the  legs  walk  away  from  him,  and  the  fellow  tumbles, 
sure.  Hurrah  for  the  legs  !  They're  a  walkin'  off  with 
the  whole  country  !  " 

"But,"  said  Jack  Slow,  slyly,  "suppose  the  legs  go 
and  don't  come  back  agin  to  the  body,  where'll  they 


528  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

git  their  blood.  Seems  to  me  legs  needs  the  body 
much  as  the  body  needs  the  legs." 

Flint  was  puzzled  at  this  extension  of  his  comparison, 
and  scratched  his  head  over  the  conclusion,  but  could 
not  draw  out  an  idea,  and  remained  silent.  Dick  Sharp 
came  to  his  assistance,  saying : 

"Curse  you,  Ned;  you're  on  the  side  of  Capital  or 
you  wouldn't  talk  in  that  style.  I  think  the  legs  is 
doin'  mighty  well  jist  now— they're  walkin'  off  with 
everything  and  will  make  their  own  way  in  the  world, 
sure.  Let  'em  run  away  with  all  they  can  git  from 
the  Big  Bugs,  and  have  a  good  time  while1  they  can. 
Legs  is  up  1  Hurrah  ! " 

Here  Bill  Driver  interposed. 

"Who  cares  for  legs?  I'm  in  for  champagne — five 
dollars  a  bottle.  I  dreamed  last  night  I  heard  a 
hundred  corks  pop,  and  that  I  was  swimmin'  and 
drinkin'  in  Bidman's  cellar  with  the  jolly  stuff  a 
sparklin'  down  Bill  Driver's  throat  like  water  from  a 
full  tank  into  an  empty  tender." 

"Champagne  for  arhistocrats ! "  cried  Brian  O'Shanty. 
"  Whaskey  for  me,  the  ould  Irish  crathur,  sich  as  Father 
Tom  gave  the  Poope  when  he  smhacked  his  houly  lips, 
and  all  Roome  heard  the  swate  noise.  Brian  O'Shanty'll 
be  in  fur  Bidman's  whaskey,  and  Bidman's  whaskey'll 
be  into  Brian  O'Shanty,  sure  as  there's  a  dry  throat  in 
Purgathory." 

"Nah!  Nah!"  interposed  Dutch  Hans,  with  Teutonic 
disgust.  "  Te  lager  is'h  te  bhetters !  Tat's  vich  I 
vants !  Is'h  dreamed  too,  last  night,  and  it  vas  tat 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE'S    TRIUMPH    AND    DEFEAT.  529 

mine  troat  vas  von  mile  long,  and  tat  Bidman's  lager 
vas  runnin'  down  all  te  vay,  and  I'se  vokes  up  happier 
nor  von  king." 

"  His  money  chists  for  me,"  roared  out  Steve  Clutch. 
"Money's  champagne,  whisky,  lager,  and  every  liquor 
you  can  think  of.  Money's  house,  dresses,  vittles, 
edication,  wife,  children,  coach,  horses,  driver,  and  all 
that  makes  the  bug  big,  paints  his  wings  and  helps 
him  fly  higher  nor  his  neighbors.  Give  me  money, 
and  I'll  beller  louder  nor  any  frog  in  the  puddle, 
Europe  or  America.  They've  lowered  my  pay  and 
raised  my  work,  and  Steve  Clutch  proposes  this  mornin' 
to  be  even  with  'em,  and  get  what'll  lift  up  his  family, 
and  ask  nobody's  leave." 

"All  wrong!"  bellowed  Andy  Tinker,  the  shop- 
philosopher.  "The  State  is  everything,  and  none  of  us 
is  nothing.  Let  the  State  sell  out  capital  for  the  benefit 
of  labor— cars,  locomotives,  houses,  lands,  all  property  of 
every  kind — and  divide  the  proceeds.  Labor  made  it 
and  labor  ought  to  have  it— each  man  his  share.  That's 
fair  and  square  and  my  doctrine.  Let  labor  have  a 
good  time,  stay  on  top  and  keep  capital  down  at  the 
bottom,  and  then  hurrah  for  freedom,  short  hours  and 
equality  ! " 

While  these  exchanges  of  wishes  and  opinions  were 
progressing,  a  shrill  whistle  was  heard  in  the  distance. 
Hark  !  a  low,  thunderous  rumble,  interrupted  by  louder 
screams,  re-echoed  amid  the  mountain  rocks.  A  head 
light  shows  its  broad  glare  through  the  mists,  and  with 
increasing  noise  the  Eagle  sweeps  round  a  curve  and 


530  KNIGHTS    OF   LABOR. 

stops  in  the  midst  of  the  gathering  crowd.  Jim  Fly, 
with  his  hand  on  the  lever,  leans  forward,  puts  his 
face  out  of  the  window,  and  cries : 

"  Hurrah,  boys  !  I've  done  more  nor  I  promised.  I've 
run  on  my  own  account  from  the  Hudson  to  the  Mis- 
sissipi,  and  back  again,  in  spite  of  Uncle  Sam  and  the 
Railroad  Big  Bugs.  The  Eagle's  free,  and  a  jolly  bird 
for  a  fast  fly.  Labor's  ahead  in  this  race,  and  Capital 
stands  a  lookin'  on,  with  its  hands  in  its  pockets.  It's 
a  comfortable  feelin'  to  have  when  you  know  no  man's 
your  master,  and  Capital  pays  your  bills.  Hurrah  for 
the  Eagle  !  Hurrah  for  Liberty  !  Hurrah  for  Labor ! 
Three  groans  for  Capital ! " 

The  men  responded  loudly,  and  as  they  cheered,  grew 
wild  with  excitement.  Then  followed  hisses,  groans, 
and  shouts  of  derision.  When  the  fury  was  greatest, 
and  the  noise  loudest,  the  door  of  the  passenger-car 
opened,  and  Kuric  stood  on  the  platform.  As  soon  as  he 
was  seen  the  tumult  ceased,  and  the  men  gazed  on  him 
in  surprise  and  silent  wonder,  mingled  with  a  feeling  of 
mysterious  awe.  His  long  hair  streamed  in  the  morning 
winds ;  his  beard  was  shaggy  and  disordered ;  his 
cheek  hollow ;  his  eye  had  the  look  of  blood ;  his  face 
was  flushed  with  fierce  passions ;  and,  altogether,  he 
seemed  like  some  avenging  fury  just  ready  to  hurl  the 
torch  and  let  havoc  loose.  Pausing  a  moment  to  survey 
the  crowd,  he  cried  in  clear,  but  sepulchral  and  ominous, 
voice  : 

"Men,  your  hour  has  come  !  Your  battle  has  been 
fought  and  won.  Capital  is  in  the  dust,  and  triumphant 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE'S    TRIUMPH    AND    DEFEAT.  533 

Labor  waves  its  banner  over  the  whole  land.  Not  in 
Europe  are  kings  and  princes  and  nobles  worse  in  their 
oppressions  than  these  infamous  railroad  tyrants,  who 
grind  you  more  despotically  than  even  Czars  and  Empe 
rors.  You  have  been  their  slaves.  You  have  reared 
their  colossal  fortunes.  You,  by  your  sweat  and  toil, 
have  built  their  palaces  and  created  their  luxuries. 
Now  you  can  take  your  back-pay.  Have  it  to  the  last 
cent !  Revenge  yourselves  in  fire  and  blood.  Blot  out 
the  tyrants  !  Destroy  the  old  and  bring  in  the  new ! 
Begin  society  over  again,  and  found  it  on  the  rights  of 
labor  !  See  in  me  the  victim  of  tyrants  !  Know  in  me 
what  your  masters  will  do  !  Whipped,  chained,  impris 
oned,  worked  in  dark  mines,  starved,  mangled,  banished, 
driven  to  despair  by  a  despot  in  the  old  world,  I  have 
a  right  to  advise  you  in  the  new  to  leave  nothing,  to 
wipe  out  the  past !  Strangle  the  vipers,  destroy  their 
nests,  and  kill  their  young  !  Begin  this  morning  with  a 
pistol  in  one  hand  and  the  torch  in  the  other !  Blood 
and  fire  !  Your  first  victim  should  be  Bidman.  Remem 
ber  Belle  Standfast !  A  son  of  capital  has  dishonored 
a  daughter  of  labor  !  Revenge  ! " 

This  spark  kindled  the  magazine.  The  men  recog 
nized  in  Ruric  their  leader.  His  insane  and  murderous 
passion  kindled  the  crowd  into  a  blaze  of  inextinguish* 
able  excitement.  Wild  cries  rent  the  air. 

"  Revenge  !  Down  with  Capital !  Up  with  Labor ! 
Let  the  workman  have  his  own  !  Hurrah  for  the  right  I 
Bidman  !  Belle  Standfast !  Blood  !  Fire  !  Vengeance  ! " 

Ruric,  with  his  rifle  in  his  hand  and  his  dagger  and 


534  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

pistols  in  his  belt,  leaping  down  from  the  car,  placed 
himself  at  the  head  of  the  furious  men.  He  led  them 
directly  to  the  house  of  Bidman.  As  they  approached 
they  met  his  six  paid  guards  deserting  their  employer, 
and  who,  mingling  with  his  assailants,  increased  the 
rage  and  noise  of  the  tumult. 

The  miserable  owner  of  the  superb  mansion  had  also 
witnessed  the  treachery  of  his  hired  defenders,  and  the 
sight  drove  him  to  despair.  Already  the  armed  crowd 
surrounded  his  dwelling,  and  escape  was  impossible. 
He  saw  vengeance  in  their  looks,  heard  vengeance  in 
their  yells,  and  knew  that  his  advice  to  Walter  Sparker, 
in  which  was  the  blood  of  Belle  Standfast,  was  hurled 
back  on  him  by  Heaven  in  vengeance. 

Now  he  thought  of  the  secret  passage,  through 
which  he  had  disdained  escape  when  suggested  by 
John  Standfast,  the  man  he  had  wronged,  and  from 
whose  lips  he  would  receive  no  counsel.  Perhaps  the 
door  might  be  open !  He  flew  to  it !  The  bolt  was 
tight !  He  tried  to  undo  it,  but  it  was  obstinately  and 
fatally  fast.  Discouraged,  he  attempts  to  force  the 
door  from  its  hinges,  and  then  to  break  through  a 
panel.  All  his  efforts  are  vain.  He  ascends  the 
stairs.  He  goes  to  a  window.  Twenty  pistols  are 
leveled  at  his  head.  Shouts  of  execration  salute  his 
ears.  He  ran  to  the  top  of  the  house,  lifted  a  trap 
door,  and  thrust  out  his  head.  A  ball  from  Ruric's 
rifle  crashed  through  his  jaw,  and  he  fled,  howling, 
below,  amid  the  jeers  and  curses  of  the  mob.  Now 
he  rushed  frantically  through  the  halls,  swearing, 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE'S    TRIUMPH    AND    DEFEAT.  537 

yelling,  raving,  wringing  his  hands,  tearing  his  hair. 
What  there  fixes  his  eye  ?  How  he  stares  and  glares  ! 
His  breath  stops.  He  sees  an  uplifted  hand  bearing  a 
torch,  and  the  flames  creeping  up  the  pillars  of  his 
piazza.  Ha !  his  house  is  in  a  blaze  !  Fire  and  smoke 
are  in  league  to  burn  and  stifle  him !  In  his  frenzy, 
he  rushes  again  to  the  roof.  Soon  as  he  is  seen  a 
hundred  guns  flash  and  crack,  and  his  body  is  pierced 
with  balls.  Lo,  a  report  like  thunder  !  Both  earth  and 
heaven  seem  to  shake,  and  the  blazing  fragments  of 
the  house  are  scattered  widely  and  wildly  through  the 
air.  The  powder  in  the  cellar  has  caught  a  spark 
and  exploded.  Thus  the  very  agent  provided  by  Saul 
Bidman  for  his  safety  has  turned  against  him,  and 
not  a  bone,  not  a  nail,  not  a  hair,  not  an  atom  of 
his  body  was  ever  seen  by  mortal  eye. 

Next,  the  crowd  passes  to  the  house  of  General 
Sparker.  The  old  man  is  on  his  piazza!  Courage  is 
in  his  heart,  his  eye,  his  face.  By  the  negligence  of 
the  servants,  after  John  Standfast's  inspection,  the 
anvil  of  the  patriarch  had  been  left  on  the  piazza, 
and  unconsciously  the  patriarch  stands  on  it.  In  life 
and  death  he  was  to  be  a  type  of  Capital  supported  by 
Labor,  and  linking  together  the  poor  and  the  rich.  His 
gray  locks  wave  in  the  winds  created  by  the  flames, 
whose  glare  is  on  his  venerable  head,  and  he  looks  the 
personification  of  manly  majesty.  It  had  been  his 
intention  to  address  the  crowd,  but  his  quick  and  true 
instinct  showed  that  silence  would  be  more  potent  than 
words.  Those  arms  folded  with  serene  dignity ;  that 


538  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR.  . 

benevolent  countenance  breathing  peace,  sorrow,  and 
forgiveness  ;  that  grand  form  and  noble  brow  recalling 
his  rectitude,  his  charity,  and  all  the  good  deeds  of 
more  than  half  a  century;  all  these  had  a  persuasive 
and  awful  eloquence  greater  than  belongs  to  the  voice 
of  the  orator.  His  presence  was  the  glory  of  his 
defense.  Hard  hearts  were  softened  before  him,  and 
tears  left  their  traces  down  rough  and  Blackened 
cheeks.  A  sob  shivered  through  the  crowd.  When 
Kuric  lifted  his  rifle,  a  dozen  hands  pulled  it  down, 
and  would  have  torn  him  to  pieces  had  he  touched  the 
trigger.  All  that  Benevolence  and  Justice  can  impress 
on  humanity  came  out  from  those  rude  natures  in  that 
memorable  hour,  to  prove  in  what  is  the  true  empire 
over  men.  Virtue  was  Heaven's  shield  over  the  old 
hero.  Overcome  by  his  exertions,  he  fell  and  expired, 
bewailed  by  those  who  had  come  with  murderous 
threats  against  his  life. 

Baffled  by  this  unexpected  spectacle,  some  of  the 
more  hardened  and  desperate  wretches  of  the  mob  now 
cried : 

"To  the  shops!  We  will  burn  the  shops!  They 
belong  to  the  company  !  Down  with  Capital !  Hurrah 
for  Labor !  The  shops  !  The  shops  !  Fire  and  ven 
geance  ! " 

To  the  shops  many  of  the  crowd  rushed,  and  formed 
around  them  a  circle.  A  wholesome  fear  was  inspired 
when  they  saw  the  windows  bristling  with  guns,  and 
the  ten  guards  made  faithful  by  the  hospital  service, 
and  the  three  veteran  pensioners  of  General  Sparker, 


THE    GREAT    STRIKE'S    TRIUMPH    AND    DEFEAT.  539 

and  Pat  Corrigan,  with  his  rifle  on  his  shoulder, 
looking  virtuous  and  resolved ;  and  Edward  Stewart, 
with  unquailing  eye,  in  command,  and  standing 
evidently  ready  to  do  his  duty.  A  halt  and  a  pause 
ensued,  during  which  some  of  the  lads  began  shooting 

blazing    arrows,   which    were    setting    on    fire  the    roof. 

s 
Destruction  was  inevitable,  and  the  mob  stood,  satisfied 

to  see  the  advancing  flames.  But  who  creeps  out  of 
the  hatchway  ?  Rifles  and  pistols  are  ready.  It  is 
John  Standfast,  with  a  bucket  of  water  in  each  hand. 
He  quietly  extinguishes  the  flames.  Not  a  gun  is 
leveled.  What !  Is  this  the  man  whom  the  mob 
expected  to  see  maddened  by  his  wrongs,  and  con 
spiring  with  them  in  death  and  destruction  ?  Yes !  it 
is  even  he !  There  he  is,  at  his  post,  faithful  to  his 
trust,  risking  life  for  duty,  repaying  good  for  evil, 
periling  himself  to  save  the  property  of  enemies  who 
had  ruined  his  daughter,  sent  his  wife  to  her  grave, 
and  blasted  his  home,  covering  it  with  an  eternal  cloud 
of  shame  !  An  overpowering  influence  went  forth 
from  the  hero.  He  was  of  themselves.  General 
Sparker  had  risen  into  a  different  class.  Hearts  were 
moved  and  eyes  moistened  which  had  not  yielded  to 
the  spell  of  the  President's  moral  power.  Silently  the 
crowd  disperses.  On  the  very  next  day  every  man 
was  in  his  place  in  the  Alma  shops,  and  soon  the 
effect  was  visible  along  the  whole  line  of  the  road, 
.and,  indeed,  extended  itself  over  the  entire  country. 
The  Great  Strike  had  received  a  mortal  blow.  RECTI 
TUDE  and  BENEVOLENCE  triumphed.  Governments  and 


540 


KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 


capitalists  must  build  on  THESE  if  they  would  continue 
to  rule  the  laboring  masses. 


"  The  Vale  of  Paradise,  amid  those 
gigantic  mountains,  standing  like  monarch  sentinels  robed  in  eternal  verdure.-' 

Pace  557. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

AMID    THE    GOLD    MOUNTAINS. 

R.  PETROVICH  and  Nicolai  had 
remained  in  Halidon  for  some 
weeks  after  the  disappearance  of 
Tip  and  Lil,  but  could  obtain  no 
trace  of  their  movements.  The 
suspense  was  again  long  and 
discouraging.  But  at  last  the  unfailing 
Ling  came  once  more  to  their  aid.  When 
£  just  about  to  abandon  the  pursuit,  the  giant 
^  burst  on  them  with  a  joyful  face,  and 
another  paper  from  the  New  York  Agency 
containing  an  unmistakable  account  of  the 
children.  Fearing  discovery,  Ruric  had 
directed  To  jo  to  convey  them  by  rail  to  Goldville,  a 
town  in  the  great  mining  region  of  the  west. 

Mr.  Petrovich,  after  much  hesitation  and  much  per 
suasion  on  the  part  of  Nicolai,  finally  consented  to  take 
Ling  and  follow.  This,  however,  was  to  be  his  last 
effort.  If  it  failed,  he  would  return  home  immediately. 
Accordingly,  the  gentlemen  and  their  servant  took  the 
cars  at  Halidon  station,  and,  in  a  few  days,  found 
themselves  in  Goldville.  Here  it  was  discovered  that 
the  children  had  made  a  long  sojourn,  but  without  a 


544  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

public  exhibition.  Soon  it  also  appeared  that  Ruric 
and  Tojo  had  been  there  directing  their  motions.  This 
added  greatly  to  the  anxiety  of  the  pursuers.  After 
weary  weeks,  they  could  discover  nothing  to  indicate 
where  Tip  and  Lil  had  gone.  Leaving  the  giant  at 
Goldville  to  prosecute  the  search,  Mr.  Petrovich  and 
Nicolai  to  relieve  their  minds  and  see  the  country,  made 
numerous  and  distant  excursions.  They  visited  and 
explored  the  Yosemite,  the  Yellowstone,  some  Colorado 
canons,  and  many  of  the  most  celebrated  mines  of  the 
region.  It  was  after  a  return  from  one  of  their  long 
est  journeys  the  conversation  occurred  we  are  now  to 
record. 

"I  confess,"  said  Mr.  Petrovich,  "I  am  totally 
discouraged  in  our  search.  The  way  never  seemed  so 
dark.  I  will  wait  here  three  more  days,  and  unless 
we  find  soine  undoubted  proofs,  I  will  return  to  Russia." 

"  I  agree  with  you,"  answered  Nicolai.  "  We  will 
not  be  justified  in  a  longer  pursuit.  I  can  now  leave 
with  a  good  conscience,  and  have  determined  to  go  with 
you  home,  and  there  devote  myself  to  the  great  work 
of  my  life.  The  knowledge,  however,  we  have  acquired 
during  the  last  few  weeks,  I  am  sure,  we  will  never 
regret." 

"  Our  trouble  and  expense  have  not,  indeed,  been  in 
vain,"  answered  Mr.  Petrovich.  "How  sublime  the 
spectacle  of  those  prairies !  What  boundless  wealth  of 
soil !  We  have  beheld  the  granary  of  the  world.  Nor 
is  anything  in  the  west  more  wonderful  than  the  size 
and  beauty  of  the  towns,  which  seem  like  growths  of 


AMID    THE    GOLD    MOUNTAINS.  545 

magic.  The  marvels  of  the  Yosemite,  and  the  Yellow 
stone,  and  the  Colorado,  these  exhaustless  mines  and 
grand  mountains,  to  be  comprehended  must  be  seen.  I 
must  admit  that  the  resources  of  the  country  are  sur 
passed  by  its  magnificence,  and  that  it  appears  to  be 
the  crowning  work  of  the  Almighty  in  our  world." 

"  I  am,  indeed,  relieved,"  answered  Nicolai,  with  a 
bright  face,  "to  hear  you  say  this,  and  was  greatly 
afraid  you  would  censure  me  for  urging  you  forward. 
Yet,  while  I  admire  the  country,  my  heart  yearns  for 
our  dear  Russia." 

"Now  I  can  comprehend,"  said  Mr.  Petrovich,  "what 
seemed  to  me  your  excessive  republican  predilections. 
Possibly  I  have  suffered  my  monarchical  prejudices  to 
color  my  judgments,  and  have  expressed  myself  too 
severely.  I  confess  I  love  the  splendor  and  refine 
ment  which  surround  a  throne,  and  that  life  here  too 
often  appears  new  and  naked.  But,  on  the  other  hand, 
I  must  remember  that  this  land  is  the  home  of  the 
nations.  It  is  for  the  people,  and  what  they  lack  in 
the  delicacy  and  elegance  peculiar  to  a  court  and  an 
aristocracy,  is  more  than  returned  to  them  in  all  the 
elements  of  substantial  happiness." 

"We  now  agree  perfectly,"  replied  Nicolai.  "I  could 
not  have  so  well  expressed  my  own  opinions.  And  yet, 
with  you,  I  prefer  my  own  government  and  country." 

"  It  is  wonderful,"  interposed  Mr.  Petrovich,  "  how 
much  mere  physical  endowment  predisposes  to  favor 
able  judgments.  The  mines,  the  prairies,  and  these 
sublime  mountains  have  with  me  inclined  the  scale  for 


546  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

the  grand  republic.  You  cannot  be  in  the  land  with 
out  glowing  visions  of  a  limitless  future  of  blessing  for 
our  humanity." 

"And  what  is  most  curious,"  said  Nicolai,  "is  the 
tie  binding  the  American  Republic  to  the  Russian 
Empire.  Could  forms  of  government  be  more  differ 
ent  ?  Could  social  conditions  be  more  widely  separ 
ated  ?  Could  the  extremes  be  greater  as  regards  origin, 
history  and  development  ?  Yet  the  two  countries, 
united  in  a  mysterious  sympathy,  must  have  some 
common  mission  and  destiny." 

While  this  conversation  was  progressing,  Ling  had 
wandered  through  the  village  almost  in  despair.  Even 
his  heart  had  begun  to  sink.  Years  before,  in  China, 
Mr.  Petrovich  had  rescued  him  when  drowning,  and 
he  had  since  been  a  trusted  and  enthusiastic  servant, 
anxious  to  devote  his  life  to  his  master.  In  the  long 
pursuit  his  patience  and  courage  had  never  before 
failed.  His  whole  soul  was  concentrated  in  a  success 
which  would  bring  to  his  preserver  the  greatest  hap 
piness  possible.  The  faithful  giant  passed  sadly  to 
the  extremity  of  the  town.  A  midnight  was  over 
him.  He  held  down  his  head  muttering  as  he  walked 
through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  his  despair. 
Happening  to  raise  his  eyes  he  saw  a  lad  sleeping 
under  a  tree.  The  feet  of  the  boy  were  bare  and 
lacerated,  his  face  was  pinched  and  thin,  his  clothing 
was  in  rags,  but  his  long  black  eye-lashes,  his  dark 
hair,  his  soft  and  peculiar  expression  and  rare  oriental 
beauty,  lent  to  him  a  resistless  charm.  Often,  as  he 


AMID    THE    GOLD    MOUNTAINS.  547 

slumbered,  his  lips  would  move,  and  then  a  gleam  of 
light  seemed  to  come  out  over  his  countenance  like 
the  moon  through  a  cloud.  Ling  stopped,  gazed,  was 
bound  by  a  spell  to  the  spot.  Slowly  the  giant  got 
on  his  knees  and  continued  to  look.  He  was  fascinated. 
Who  was  this  strange  boy?  What  had  made  him 
thus  almost  naked,  tired  and  bleeding?  And  what  in 
the  heart  of  Ling  awakened  this  overpowering  interest  ? 
Many  minutes  passed.  A  half-hour  was  gone.  Still 
the  giant  gazed  and  still  the  lad  slept.  Suddenly 
those  black  eyes  are  opened  !  A  smile  of  recognition 
illuminated  the  face  of  Ling.  Yes !  he  saw  it  all. 
The  light  has  come.  He  was  transported  to  the  scene 
on  the  battery  and  in  the  house  of  Ruric,  described  in 
the  first  chapter  of  our  story.  Here  before  him  is 
the  object  of  his  search.  It  is  Tip ! 

The  boy  awakening,  looked  in  the  giant's  face,  and 
seeing  there  love  and  sympathy,  exclaimed,  in  a  low, 
faint  voice  : 

"  I  am  so  sick  and  tired.  Can  you  give  me  some 
food  ?  Oh,  get  me  a  doctor.  I  am  nearly  dead.  I 
have  money  in  my  belt  and  I  can  pay  him  and  you." 

"  Monee  no  me  wantee  ! "  said  the  giant.  "  Me 
wantee  you.  You  be  Tippee." 

"Yes,"  answered  the  boy,  faintly,  "that  is  my 
name.  I  am  Tip,  but  I  never  saw  you  before." 

"Don't  talkee  muchee!"  replied  Ling.  "Me  you 
soughtee  longee,  muchee,  all  over  Mellika.  Ah  !  foundee 
you ! "  and  the  giant  uttered  peals  of  joyful  laughter 
from  his  glad  heart. 


548  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR.  . 

When  Ling  could  at  last  restrain  himself  he  asked  : 

"  Where  from  youee  ?  " 

"I  cannot  tell  you  now,"  said  Tip,  "  I  am  too  weak. 
Get  me  some  food  and  medicine,  and  when  I  get  better 
you  shall  know  everything." 

The  giant  took  the  boy  in  his  strong  arms  and 
folded  him  to  his  warm  breast,  and  bore  him  through 
the  village,  and  carried  him  to  his  own  room,  and  laid 
him  tenderly  on  his  bed,  and  procured  him  nourishment, 
and  bathed  his  wounds,  and  then  went  for  a  physician. 
Soon  Tip,  although  yet  weak,  was  refreshed  and  lying 
in  a  sweet  and  healthful  slumber. 

When  the  lad  had  received  his  care,  Ling  sought 
Mr.  Petrovich  and  Mcolai  in  their  apartments.  Over 
flowing  as  he  was  with  joy  and  triumph,  he  did  not 
forget  his  oriental  deference  and  politeness.  But  after 
his  obeisance,  the  flood  burst  forth.  His  countenance 
was  radiant  and  his  very  pigtail  seemed  to  vibrate  in 
sympathy  with  his  heart. 

"Me  foundee  him,"  he  exclaimed.  "Me  habee  here 
him  !  in  thisee  house  !  here  him  !  here !  Me  habbe." 

The  giant  leaped,  danced,  whirled,  talked,  gesticu 
lated,  until  the  gentlemen  thought  him  a  candidate  for 
the  lunatic  asylum. 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  this  ?"  asked  Mr.  Petro 
vich,  rather  impatiently.  "You  seem  crazy.  Cannot 
you  tell  us  what  discoveries  have  made  you  mad  ?  Let 
us  know  at  once  ! " 

"  Me  foundee  him,"  answered  the  giant,  with  greater 
impetuosity  than  ever,  "foundee!  foundee!  himsee." 


AMID    THE    GOLD    MOUNTAINS.  549 

"  But  whom ! "  inquired  Mr.  Petrovich,  with  rising 
temper.  "Be  quiet  and  tell  me  whom  you  mean?" 

His  decided  and  displeased  tone  brought  Ling  to 
his  senses,  and  he  answered  : 

"  Tippee,  Tippee,   Tippee,  me  foundee." 

It  was  now  in  turn  that  the  gentlemen  were  aston 
ished. 

"Tip!"  they  ejaculated  together. 

"  Surely  you  dream,  or  have  become  a  lunatic,"  said 
Mr.  Petrovich. 

"  Where  is  he  ? "  burst  out  Nicolai,  in  an  ecstacy  of 
surprise,  and  curiosity.  "  Tell  us  where  he  is." 

Ling  had  now  become  completely  restored,  and 
answered  : 

"  In  thisee  house  he  Tippee  be !  Me  showee  you 
him" 

The  giant  went  to  the  door,  and  through  the  hall 
and  down  the  stairs  to  his  room,  followed  by  the 
gentlemen.  There,  indeed,  on  the  bed  was  the  sleep 
ing  boy,  whom  Mr.  Petrovich  had  seen  on  the 
Battery  in  New  York.  Long  thej  all  stood  and  gazed 
in  silence.  What  link  was  this  in  the  mysterious 
chain  of  destiny  !  What  toil,  and  time,  and  thought  to 
bring  them  to  this  result !  That  slumbering  lad,  with 
his  beautiful  Indian  face  !  What  is  the  secret  of  his 
life  ?  Can  it  be  obtained  from  him  ?  Was  it  to  pass 
those  lips  ?  Or,  was  it  to  be  forever  sealed  and  hidden  ? 
Who  could  tell  ?  Where  is  the  girl  ?  Is  she  lost  ? 
Is  she  dead  ?  More  horrible  than  all — is  she  in  Ruric's 
power  ?  While  these  inquiries  were  flashing  through 


550  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

the  souls  of  the  gazers,  Tip  opened  his  eyes,  and  was 
startled  when  he  saw  these  strange  men  bending  over 
him  with  a  gaze  so  earnest.  Very  soon  he  remem 
bered  Mr.  Petrovich  as  the  gentleman  with  whom 
Kuric  had  the  furious  struggle. 

"Oh,  sir,"  he  said,  with  difficulty  and  in  a  murmuring 
voice,  "  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you.  I  know  you  are 
my  friend.  I  have  something  to  say  to  you  alone." 

Mr.  Petrovich  at  once  requested  Nicolai  and 
Ling  to  withdraw,  and  was  thus  left  with  Tip.  He 
took  the  boy's  hand  and  said  : 

"Yes!  I  am,  indeed,  your  friend,  and  will  take  care 
of  you  while  you  live.  Tell  me  all  that  is  in  your 
mind." 

"Oh,  sir,"  burst  out  Tip,  with  quivering  heart  and 
overflowing  eyes,  "you  must  make  haste.  Lil  is  in 
great  danger.  If  you  do  not  go  soon,  she  will  be 
dead." 

"  Be  calm,  my  boy,"  answered  Mr.  Petrovich,  with 
assumed  quietude  of  manner.  "  Do  not  exhaust  your 
self.  All  depends  on  you.  Let  me  know  where  she 
is,  and  what  will  be  necessary  for  her  rescue." 

"I  will  try,"  replied  Tip,  with  great  effort.  "  Ruric, 
Tojo,  Lil  and  I  were  in  this  place  not  long  since.  Our 
master  decided  to  take  us  to  the  Vale  of  Paradise,  about 
a  hundred  miles  from  here,  where  he  had  bought  a 
cottage.  We  went  most  of  the  way  by  rail  and  the 
rest  on  horses.  'When  we  got  there,  he  told  Lil  that  in 
a  month  he  would  marry  her.  She  hates  him,  and  she 
told  me  she  would  kill  herself." 


AMID    THE    GOLD    MOUNTAINS.  551 

"  Would  kill  herself ! "  exclaimed  Mr.  Petrovich, 
horrified.  "Was  she  in  earnest?" 

"Oh,  yes,  sir,"  answered  Tip.  "She  would  do  what 
she  said,  and  rather  die  than  marry  E-uric.  She  told  me 
that  on  the  morning  of  the  day  she  would  throw  herself 
over  the  precipice." 

"But  how  was  he  to  marry  her?"  inquired  Mr. 
Petrovich,  with  increasing  terror  and  anguish.  "Where 
would  he  find  a  priest  ? " 

"He  said  a  priest  was  all  humbug,"  replied  the  boy. 
"He  wouldn't  have  him,  if  he  could.  He  is  to  take 
Lil  on  the  wedding  morning  out  on  the  rock,  and  stand 
before  the  rising  sun,  and  then  they  are  to  join  hands 
and  be  man  and  wife." 

Mr.  Petrovich  was  aghast.  He  trembled  with  excite- 
ment.  An  abyss  was,  indeed,  gaping  beneath  the  feet 
of  the  girl.  After  great  effort  he  inquired  : 

"On  what  day  was  this  to  be?" 

Tip  thought  a  moment  and  answered : 

"Perhaps  I  have  not  kept  my  time  right,  but  I  think 
it  will  be  just  ten  days  from  this." 

"And  what  brought  you  here,  my  boy?"  asked  Mr. 
Petrovich. 

"I  knew,"  said  Tip,  "if  help  did  not  come,  Lil  would 
take  her  life,  and  to  save  it,  I  ran  away  to  do  what  I 
could,  but  I  got  sick  and  weak  and  was  lost  on  the 
mountains  and  this  made  me  longer.  But  it  is  not  too 
"late  yet.  She  can  be  saved.  If  you  go  at  once,  she 
can  be  saved." 

Mr.  Petrovich  looked  on  the  suffering  little  hero  with 


552  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

a  heart  full  of  love  and  admiration.  At  last  lie  was 
able  to  inquire  : 

"Have  you  strength  to  guide  us  back?  Could  you 
find  the  way  ?  All  now  depends  on  you." 

These  words  inspired  Tip  with  a  new  life.  His 
black  eyes  gleamed  and  sparkled  with  joy,  and  his 
features  shone  in  a  light  which  seemed  scarcely  of 
earth.  He  raised  himself  on  his  elbow  and  said: 

"Yes,  sir!  I  feel  I  will  have  strength  given  me. 
Lil  is  to  me  like  a  sister.  I  would  do  anything  for 
her.  I  will  start  with  you  to-morrow,  and  show  you, 
if  it  kills  me." 

Mr.  Petrovich  shook  the  boy's  hand,  but  was  so 
overpowered  that  he  could  not  speak  for  many  minutes. 
He  said  at  last : 

"  My  lad,  keep  quiet.  Get  all  the  strength  you  can. 
I  will  leave  you  now,  and  will  make  every  arrangement 
to  deliver  the  girl  from  this  fearful  wretch  who  would 
destroy  her." 

He  withdrew  from  the  room,  and  Tip  sank  back  into 
a  deep  slumber. 

Ling  was  in  his  element.  His  tact  and  energy  were 
invaluable.  Before  the  sun  disappeared  behind  the 
mountains,  he  had  secured  two  Indian  guides,  an  escort 
of  six  stalwart  men,  a  slight  litter  for  Tip,  to  be 
carried  by  relays  of  the  guards,  and  made  arrangements 
for  supplies  of  arms,  provisions,  and  all  other  neces 
saries  for  the  fatiguing  and  perilous  enterprise. 

Early  next  day  the  march  was  commenced.  Including 
Mr.  Petrovich,  Nicolai,  Ling,  and  Tip,  the  party  num- 


AMID    THE    GOLD    MOUNTAINS.  553 

bered  twelve  persons.  Under  the  directions  of  the  boy, 
they  proceeded  to  the  western  extremity  of  the  town, 
and  then  along  a  narrow  valley  to  the  steep  side  of  a 
mountain,  where  they  plunged  into  a  pine-forest.  For 
the  first  three  days,  the  trail  was  made  easy  to  the  two 
Indian  guides  by  the  drops  of  blood  which  had  fallen 
from  the  feet  of  Tip  after  his  shoes  had  been  worn  out. 
Then  the  way  became  more  difficult  to  find  and  to 
follow.  Still,  a  fragment  of  the  boy's  clothing,  a  broken 
twig,  a  bruised  leaf,  a  piece  of  paper  purposely  dropped, 
assisted  by  Tip's  own  quick  memory  and  intelligence, 
made  the  party  sure  that  they  were  in  the  right  path. 
On  the  sixth  day,  when  the  toilsome  journey  was  about 
two-thirds  accomplished,  the  sick  lad  gave  evident  signs 
of  exhaustion.  His  energies  had  expended  themselves. 
His  eyes  seemed  growing  to  an  unnatural  size,  and  to 
sparkle  with  an  unearthly  fire.  His  lips  became  pallid, 
and  his  cheeks  sunken  and  ghastly.  Early  in  the 
afternoon  his  feebleness  compelled  the  party  to  halt  for 
the  night. 

For  several  days,  Mcolai  had  been  constantly  with 
Tip,  and  preparing  his  mind,  by  his  priestly  counsels,  for 
the  change  he  saw  would  be  inevitable.  As  he  bent 
over  the  litter,  the  dying  boy  opened  his  eyes  and 
looked  on  his  new  friend  with  inexpressible  gratitude. 
With  his  thin  hands,  he  took  the  gold  chain  of  the 
locket  from  his  neck,  and  gazed  long  and  earnestly  on 
that  mysterious  face,  at  last  asking : 

"Sir,  can  you  tell  me  in  what  language  these  words 
are  written,  and  what  they  mean  ? " 


554     ,  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

Nicolai  held  the  locket,  examined  it  carefully,  and 
answered : 

"These  are  Arabic  words,  which  spell  the  name 
Hyder  Ali,  who  was  a  great  Kajah  or  prince  in  India 
more  than  a  century  ago." 

A  flash  of  intelligence  darted  over  the  features  of 
Tip.  His  lip  quivered,  and  his  whole  frame  became 
agitated. 

"  Oh,  sir,"  he  exclaimed,  with  deep  emotion,  "  that 
word  seems  to  unlock  my  memory.  I  see  it  all.  He 
was  my  mother's  grandfather.  Now  I  can  recollect 
our  palace,  the  elephant  on  which  I  used  to  ride,  our 
city,  my  rich  dress,  and  all  the  beautiful  things. 
Yes  sir,  I  was  a  prince.  But  that  is  no  matter  now. 
Promise  to  bury  this  locket  with  me.  When  I  am  in 
my  grave  I  want  to  feel  that  it  is  on  my  breast." 

"My  dear  boy,"  answered  Nicolai,  "I  do  not  doubt 
that  you  are  right  in  your  recollections  of  yourself. 
Many  things  conspire  to  prove  it.  I  will  most  gladly 
do  what  you  request;  Your  life  will  soon  be  over, 
and  you  must  not  regret  what  you  have  lost." 

"Oh,  no,  no  sir,"  whispered  Tip,  with  a  brightening 
eye  and  face ;  "  I  do  not  wish  to  live,  even  if  I  would 
be  a  prince  in  my  own  land,  because  I  am  tired,  so 
tired,  and  I  want  to  be  at  rest.  And  now  I  will  ask 
one  thing  more.  I  always  told  Lil  I  would  never  be 
a  Christian,  but  since  talking  with  you,  I  feel  differ 
ently.  I  believe  in  our  Saviour  and  I  want  you  to 
baptize  me." 

"Most  gladly,   my  son,"    exclaimed  Nicolai,   bursting 


AMID    THE    GOLD    MOUNTAINS.  555 

into  tears  and  unable  longer  to  control  his  emotions. 
"  I  will  make  arrangements  immediately.  You  have 
filled  me  with  great  joy." 

"  Oh,  there  ;  see  there,  sir,"  cried  the  boy  in  a  low, 
clear,  musical  voice,  while  his  face  beamed  with  a 
celestial  joy,  as  he  pointed  upwards;  "it  seems  as  if 
I  was  mounting  to  heaven  like  that  bird." 

As  he  spoke,  he  pointed  to  a  mountain-eagle  wheel 
ing  sunward  on  royal  wing  above  the  clouds. 

Nicolai  procured  some  pure  water  which  sparkled 
from  a  spring,  and  called  together  the  party  to  be 
witnesses  of  the  baptism.  The  chrism  of  his  Church 
he  was  compelled  to  omit.  As  he  sprinkled  the 
sacred  drops  on  the  brow  of  Tip  in  the  name  of  the 
Trinity,  an  awful  stillness  was  in  all  hearts,  while  the 
beautiful  face  of  the  boy  appeared  to  shine  in  a  halo, 
sweet  and  bright  as  heaven.  Mcolai  and  Mr.  Petro- 
vich  then  solemnly  chanted  together  the  words  of  the 
NUNC  DEMITTAS,  whose  music  was  lost  amid  the  far 
echoes  of  the  surprised  mountains. 

Tip  now  made  a  sign  and  the  Priest  bent  over 
him. 

"Oh,  sir,"  he  said,  "have  you  a  cross?  I  want  to 
die  looking  on  the  cross  !  The  cross.  Oh,  the  cross, 
how  I  love  it." 

Nicolai  opened  his  coat  and  took  out  from  his  bosom 
a  large  and  splendid  cross  of  gold,  which  he  held  be 
fore  Tip,  who  gazed  on  the  precious  emblem  with  a 
saintly  rapture.  As  he  looked,  a  ray  of  the  setting 
sun  touched  the  holy  sign  with  a  sudden  splendor 


556  KNIGHTS    OF   LABOR. 

that  appeared  to  penetrate  the  very  soul  of  Tip.  He 
.  whispered  faintly. 

"  See !  see  !  there  is  light  on  the  cross  !  It  makes 
my  way  bright  to  heaven  !  Good-by,  sir !  Good- 
by,  all !  Jesu  !  Jesu  !  Jesu  !  " 

Last  on  the  dear  boy's  lips  was  the  name  of  the 
Saviour  of  mankind.  His  spirit  breathed  itself  gently 
into  Paradise,  and  his  peaceful  face  showed  that  he 
was  at  rest.  Nicolai  closed  his  eyes  and  bathed  him 
with  his  tears.  Even  the  Indian  guides  and  the  rough 
guards  wept  as  they  gazed  on  the  serene  countenance 
illuminated  by  the  lingering  sun.  Mr.  Petrovich  was 
filled  with  a  grief  like  that  of  a  father  mourning  over 
an  only  child.  He  and  Nicolai  watched  all  night  by 
the  side  of  Tip.  Under  his  directions  a  grave  was 
dug  at  the  foot  of  a  majestic  pine,  and  above  a  stream 
which  leaped  and  roared  from  the  mountain-summit, 
then,  just  below,  expanded  into  a  smooth,  crystal  lake, 
discharging  itself  in  a  waterfall,  whose  white  spray 
was  painted  with  innumerable  quivering  brilliant  rain 
bows,  even  now  dancing  in  the  morning  sun.  After 
an  early  breakfast,  the  body  was  carried  by  two  of 
the  guards,  and,  with  a  brief  but  solemn  service  by  the 
Priest,  was  let  down  into  its  resting  place.  Nicolai 
laid  the  locket  on  the  breast  of  Tip,  and  scattered  over 
him  some  wild  roses  which  breathed  their  fragrance 
through  the  air.  The  clods  fell  gently  on  the  boy  with 
out  the  usual  hollow  sound  produced  by  a  coffin.  A 
cross  was  planted  at  the  head  of  the  grave,  which  was 
covered  with  the  greenest  moss.  There,  amid  those 


AMID    THE    GOLD    MOUNTAINS.  557 

gigantic  mountains,  standing  around  like  monarch-senti 
nels  robed  in  eternal  verdure,  and  crowned  with  resplen 
dent  snows,  will  sleep  Tip,  until  the  trumpet  of  the 
angel  of  the  resurrection  shall  cleave  the  rocks,  and  the 
dead,  from  land  and  sea,  stand  before  the  throne  of  the 
Judge  of  the  earth. 

The  death  of  Tip  greatly  increased  the  difficulties 
of  the  party.  His  memory  arid  his  judgment  often 
seemed  almost  supernatural.  The  anxiety  of  Mr.  Petro- 
vich  rose  into  an  agony,  lest  they  might  be  delayed 
until  the  infamous  marriage-rites,  proposed  by  Ruric, 
should  be  consummated.  Great  drops  of  suffering  would 
often  start  out  upon  his  face.  But  under  all  disad 
vantages,  progress  was  yet  made.  The  directions  of 
Tip  had  been  clear  and  precise,  and  the  traces  of  his 
trail  had  not  wholly  disappeared.  Moreover,  the  saga 
city  of  the  Indian  guides  was  wonderful,  and  finally 
conquered.  On  the  ninth  day — that  before  the  abhorred 
nuptial  ceremony,  contemplated  by  the  Nihilist — a  mar 
velous  scene  burst  on  the  party. 

Before  them  spread  the  Vale  of  Paradise.  .  Its 
entrance  was  a  narrow  gorge,  bounded  by  perpendicu 
lar  columned  rocks  nearly  a  mile  in  height,  and  from 
whose  depths,  at  midday,  could  be  seen  the  eternal 
stars.  In  one  place,  when  the  heavens  were  clear,  the 
pole-star  was  always  visible,  and  seemingly  motionless 
in  the  dark,  aerial  blue.  The  valley  was  about  one 
mile  wide  and  six  miles  long.  At  its  extreme  end  rose 
a  pillared  mountain,  heaving  its  top  into  the  clouds. 
On  one  side  was  a  plunging  cataract,  involved  in  mists, 


558  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

but  whose  thunders  shook  the  rocks,  while  on  the 
other  side,  the  water  falling  over  the  summit  of  the 
lofty  precipice,  spread  itself  into  a  white  spray,  exquisite 
in  its  delicacy,  and  bent  and  waved  to  the  winds, 
beautiful  with  myriads  of  rainbows.  Sublime  pines 
towered  aloft  from  the  encircling  mountains.  Down  the 
valley,  wound  and  glittered  a  stream  between  banks*  of 
grass  and  flowers,  and  marked  along  its  course  by  the 
graceful  willow  and  the  gigantic  sycamore. 

The  party  remained  for  some  moments  absorbed  by 
the  beauty  and  grandeur  of  the  spectacle.  But  soon 
before  the  minds  of  the  two  leaders  rushed  the  tremen 
dous  questions  : 

"Where  is  Lillie  ?  Where  is  Ruric  ?  Can  we 
discover  them  ?  Are  we  too  late  ?  Has  the  crime  of 
the  marriage  been  perpetrated  ?  Are  we  here  only  to 
witness  death  and  ruin  ? " 

As  the  telescope  swept  the  valley,  the  silence  and 
suspense  made  all  breathless,  and  the  beat  of  anxious 
hearts  could  be  distinctly  heard.  The  instrument  fre 
quently  so  shook  in  the  grasp  of  Mr.  Petrovich,  that  he 
was  compelled  to  give  it  to  Nicolai,  who,  tremulous  in 
turn,  was  forced  to  hand  it  back  again.  But,  hark  !  a 
cry  of  joy !  The  telescope  rests  long  on  the  same 
object  !  Mr.  Petrovich  exclaims,  with  beaming  face : 

"  I  have  found  it  !  The  villain  has,  indeed,  built 
his  nest  like  the  eagle  on  his  crag,  and  carried  afar 
his  prey  for  its  destruction,  but  I  will  pull  him  down 
from  his  height.  I  feel  that  Heaven  has  brought 
deliverance." 


AMID    THE    GOLD    MOUNTAINS.  559 

Nicolai  took  the  glass  and  gazed  on  the  indicated 
spot.  Yes  !  there  was  the  cottage  on  a  lofty  rock,  about 
the  middle  of  the  opposite  mountain,  partly  concealed  by 
leaves,  and  sometimes  by  the  spray  of  the  waterfall,  yet 
sufficiently  visible.  It  was  known  to  the  men  as  a  house 
erected  by  a  San  Francisco  speculator  and  misanthrope, 
and  which  was  occupied  by  him  until  his  suicide. 
Ruric  had  bought  and  repaired  it,  and  as  a  new  rail 
way,  unknown  to  Tip,  came  within  a  few  miles, 
the  place  had  been  filled  with  every  luxury,  and  ren 
dered  attractive  and  beautiful,  amid  that  wonderful  Vale 
of  Paradise.  Here  the  Nihilist  was  at  the  summit  of 
his  ambition  and  his  revenge.  His  dream  of  years  he 
thought  would  soon  be  realized.  About  him  was  the 
glory  of  art.  He  was  in  the  smile  of  successful  wealth. 
Beauty  would  soon  be  in  his  arms.  The  clouds  had 
passed,  and  now  the  sunshine  had  crowned  his  head. 
Earth  had  for  him  the  reward  most  coveted. 

More  than  two  hours  elapsed  before  Mr.  Petrovich 
and  his  party  could  move  around  the  summits  of  those 
steep  mountains  and  plant  themselves  on  the  ledge  above 
the  cottage.  After  a  most  toilsome  effort,  the  weari^ 
some  circuit  was  accomplished,  but  the  long  shadows 
across  the  valley  already  told  them  of  a  sinking  sun.  Twi 
light  would  soon  deepen  and  night  render  their  enter 
prise  unavailing.  This  reflection  inspired  them  with 
fresh  energy.  They  stood  a  moment  in  anxious  con 
sultation.  Ling  had  withdrawn  himself  a  short  distance 
from  the  rest  of  the  party,  and  was  gazing  intently 
down  on  the  house  below.  Suddenly  a  lad  sprang  out 


560  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

from  behind  a  rock,  and,  quick  as  light,  sheathed  a  dagger 
in  his  breast.  The  giant  uttered  a  sharp  cry,  and  grap 
pled  his  assailant.  An  instant  after,  in  their  struggle, 
they  fell  together  over  the  crags  thousands  of  feet  into  the 
valley  beneath,  and  lay  side  by  side  in  mangled,  bloody, 
ghastly  ruin.  Tojo  had  been  watching  in  concealment  the 
movements  of  the  party,  when  Ling  approached  below 
him  and  sufficiently  near  for  a  mortal  thrust.  Recog 
nizing  his  hereditary  enemy,  he  could  not  resist  the 
impulse  of  his  passionate  revenge.  Tojo  leaped  on  Ling 
like  a  young  tiger,  and  killed  himself  in  the  murder  of 
his  foe. 

The  terrible  fate  of  the  affectionate  and  faithful  giant 
cast  a  dark  shadow  over  Mr.  Petrovich  and  Nicolai. 
Indeed,  the  whole  party  stood  aghast,  as  they  witnessed 
the  two  men,  after  their  brief  struggle,  tumbling  over 
the  rocky  ledge,  and  falling  through  the  air  far  down 
into  the  twilight  of  the  deep  valley.  There  was  no 
time,  however,  to  indulge  sorrow.  Years  were  now 
concentrated  in  a  moment.  The  crisis  had  arrived. 
The  next  morning's  sun  would  look  down  on  that 
fearful  mockery  of  a  marriage. 

While  the  two  gentlemen  were  consulting,  and  quite 
undecided  how  to  act,  Ruric  had  witnessed  the  awful 
tragedy  which  we  have  described,  and  was  seized  with 
mortal  fear.  Looking  aloft,  he  saw  his  pursuers,  and 
his  terror  magnified  their  numbers.  Mr.  Petrovich, 
suddenly  lifting  his  telescope  to  his  eye,  exclaimed  : 

"Heavens!  I  see  the  villain!  He  climbs,  for  life, 
down  the  side  of  the  mountain.  Despair  is  in  his  face. 


AMID   THE    GOLD    MOUNTAINS.  561 

He  leaps  from  rock  to  rock  like  an  Alpine  goat.  Mortal 
dread  impels  him.  I  fear  he  has  murdered  the  girl." 

Nicolai  seized  the  glass  and  looked  earnestly  and 
tearfully  at  his  brother.  See  !  he  has  reached  the  bot 
tom  of  his  descent !  Hark  !  the  thunder  of  a  horse's 
hoof  !  He  flies  !  They  see  him,  as  if  chased  by  demons, 
riding  through  the  dark  canon.  Now  he  vanishes  from 
view.  The  clang  of  hoofs  has  died  away.  Into  all 
hearts  comes  the  stillness  of  death. 

Led,  amid  fearful  forebodings,  by  Mr.  Petrovich  and 
Nicolai,  the  party  climb  down  a  rocky  path,  and  after 
great  perils  reach  the  cottage  without  further  serious 
accident.  The  front-door  stands  open.  No  person  is  visible. 
Halls,  parlors,  bedrooms,  attic,  closets  are  searched. 
All  are  unoccupied.  One  door  had  been  passed  by  because 
locked.  Mr.  Petrovich  knocks.  There  is  no  answer. 
His  blows  become  louder.  Everything  is  still.  He 
rattles  the  lock,  and  one  of  the  powerful  guards  tries 
to  break  a  panel.  At  last  a  low  voice,  tremulous  with 
fear,  asks : 

"  Who  are  you  ?  What  do  you  want  ?  If  you  are 
friends,  I  will  let  you  in." 

Here  is  relief  at  last.  She  lives.  She  can  speak. 
She  is  heard  moving  across  the  floor. 

Mr.    Petrovich,   for  her  encouragement,    said : 

"I  am  your  best  friend.  You  may  remember  me  as 
the  person  who  fought  with  Ruric  for  you  that  night 
in  New  York.  You  can  trust  me.  I  have  been  seeking 
you  all  over  the  country,  and  will  be  your  protector  for 
life." 


562 


KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 


The  girl  seemed  to  have  paused  in  the  midst  of  her 
resolution.  Minutes  passed  before  she  could  resume  her 
efforts.  Now  her  step  is  heard  again.  The  bolt  is 
withdrawn.  Lillie  stands  before  Mr.  Petrovich ! 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

ST .     PETERSBURG. 

T  was  a  winter  morning  in  St. 
Petersburg.  The  first  beams  of 
the  sun  were  burning  and  dancing- 
around  the  dome  of  St.  Isaac's 
whose  cross,  sparkling  with  frost- 
crystals,  seemed  on  the  sky  a 
blaze  of  diamonds.  An  avalanche  of  snow 
was  on  the  Winter  Palace.  The  great 
Capital  was  white  in  its  December  robe. 
Frozen  from  bank  to  bank,  the  existence  of 
the  Neva  could  scarcely  be  conceived  beneath 
its  concealing  snow.  Winter  ruled  sov 
ereign  of  northern  Russia. 
At  the  early  hour  of  which  we  speak,  the  currents 
of  the  city's  life  appeared  to  be  congealed.  Here  and 
there  could  be  seen  a  policeman  wearied  with  his  night- 
watch,  a  peasant  in  his  rough  sheep-skin,  or  an  aristocratic 
reveller  returning  late  from  his  debauch.  Suddenly, 
through  the  sharp,  clear  air,  can  be  heard  the  tinkle 
of  bells,  the  gliding  of  runners,  the  trampling  of  horses 
in  the  muffling  snow,  and,  as  the  noise  grows  louder, 
a  gay  sleigh  dashes  before  the  Marble  Palace  near 


566  KNIGHTS  OF   LABOR. 

the  famous  bridge.  Two  gentlemen  of  unusual  size 
emerge  from  the  front  door  of  the  royal  edifice,  but, 
having  their  faces  hid  in  their  furs,  cannot  be  recog 
nized.  Seating  themselves,  and  adjusting  their  gloves, 
capes,  and  robes,  at  the  crack  of  the  driver's  whip,  the 
three  horses,  harnessed  abreast,  start  into  a  gallop, 
flying  over  the  hard-frozen  surface  -of  the  snow,  their 
furious  speed  well  emblematized  by  a  golden  eagle 
spreading  its  wings  over  the  front  of  the  sleigh,  as  if 
to  assist  its  progress. 

"Bishop,"  began  the  gentleman  on  the  right,  first 
breaking  the  silence,  "I  think  that  bird  shows  that 
your  republican  peculiarities  still  follow  you.  The  eagle, 
I  fear,  is  still  preferred  to  the  bear." 

"A  mere  accident,  I  assure  you,  Prince  Romanoff," 
replied  the  ecclesiastic,  slightly  embarrassed.  "The 
republic  is  with  me  only  a  memory,  and  my  single  aim 
is  to  use  the  lessons  learned  there  for  the  good  of 
Russia." 

"Excuse  my  jest,  my  friend,"  answered  the  gentle 
man.  "I  appreciate  both  your  patriotic  devotion  and 
your  religious  enthusiasm.  No  man  could  be  more 
gratified  that  my  old  friend  Mcolai,  through  the  gen 
erosity  of  our  Imperial  Master,  is  Bishop  of  Novgorod. 
He  must,  indeed,  have  been  pleased  with  your  interview, 
the  report  of  your  observations  and  your  plans  for  the 
future." 

"Nor  am  I  less  delighted,"  said  the  Bishop,  "that 
my  traveling  companion,  Mr.  Petrovich,  has  taken  his 
hereditary  place  as  nephew  of  the  Czar,  and  one  of  the 


ST.    PETERSBURG.  567 

royal  princes  of  the  Russian  Empire,  and  is  soon  to  be 
appointed  Counsellor  to  his  Majesty." 

"To  you  it  must  be  especially  pleasing,"  returned 
the  Prince,  "that  the  delicacy  of  the  Emperor  has 
selected  your  diocese  in  the  very  land  of  your  fathers. 
The  ancient  Russikoffs  were  once  the  kings  of  Nov 
gorod." 

"Yes,  your  Highness,"  answered  the  Bishop;  "our 
ancestor,  Ruric,  was  monarch  of  that  region  a  thousand 
years  ago,  so  that  royal  blood  flows  in  the  veins  of  my 
brother  and  myself.  Oh,  that  he  yet  might  be  made 
worthy  of  his  hereditary  rank  and  descent.  While 
twins,  he  is  my  senior  by  birth  and  the  representative 
of  our  house." 

"  I  have  something  of  interest  to  disclose  to  you 
about  Ruric,"  said  the  Prince,  "but  must  now  wait 
until  this  expedition  is  over.  In  a  few  hours  will  be 
settled  the  future  of  my  line.  One  link  alone  is  want 
ing  in  the  chain  of  evidence  to  prove  that  Lillie  is  my 
daughter  —  my  long-lost  Marie  Petrovich  Alexandra 
Romanoff — the  heiress  of  my  name  and  my  estates,  and 
a  member  of  the  imperial  family.  In  my  heart  I  feel 
that  she  is,  indeed,  my  child ;  but  I  am  sure  that  I 
have  been  right  in  restraining  myself  and  deferring  her 
acknowledgment  until  the  proofs  were  such  as  our 
tribunals  would  sustain." 

"You  have,  truly,"  answered  Bishop  Nicolai,  "exhib 
ited  the  most  admirable  and  extraordinary  control,  which, 
I  am  persuaded,  was  wise  and  best.  Heaven  will  com 
plete  our  work.  Our  toils  and  perils  have  not  been  in 


568  KNIGHTS    OF   LABOR. 

vain.      When  all  has  been  accomplished,  how  rich,   how 
lasting,   how  splendid  will  be  our  reward  ! " 

After  this  conversation  the  gentlemen  relapsed  into 
silence,  absorbed  in  their  thoughts.  Wonderful,  indeed, 
had  been  the  path  they  had  traveled  !  Yet,  at  last, 
here  are  our  former  friends,  Mr.  Petrovich  and  Nicolai, 
in  their  true  characters.  The  masks  have  dropped. 
We  see  them  both  in  their  native  light.  But  they 
are  on  the  same  mission  in  the  Empire  they  had  pur 
sued  in  the  Kepublic.  Still  it  is  their  task  to  identify 
Lillie,— not  now,  however,  working  in  the  darkness, 
but,  as  they  hope,  emerging  into  the  sunlight  of  a 
glorious  success. 

By  frequent  relays  of  horses  the  swift  sleigh  in  ten 
hours,  accomplished  a  hundred  miles.  The  full  moon 
is  rising  over  a  forest  of  the  east,  and  tracing  dark 
shadows  of  trees  on  the  sparkling  brilliance  of  the 
crystal  snow.  She  looks  down  with  a  benignant  eye. 
The  stars  in  their  winter  brightness  fling  from  the 
clear  heavens  their  benedictions  on  the  path  of  the 
illustrious  travelers. 

About  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the  sleigh  halted 
before  the  mansion  of  a  Russian  gentleman,  Pavel 
Vassolich,  whose  ancestors  for  generations  had  culti 
vated  the  estate.  Immediately  there  was  an  immense 
barking  of  dogs.  Lights  glanced  hurriedly  across  the 
windows.  A  servant  crept  around  in  the  shadow  to 
observe.  The  arrival  had  already  produced  intense 
commotion  in  the  sleepy  old  dwelling.  Assisted  by 
two  footmen,  the  Prince  and  the  Bishop  descended  from 


ST.     PETERSBURG.  569 

the  sleigh,  and,  opening  the  huge  gate,  advanced  toge 
ther  to  the  mansion.  When  they  reached  the  steps,  they 
found  Pavel  Vassolich  before  his  front  door.  He  had 
evidently  expected  his  distinguished  guests,  and  dared 
the  winter  cold  to  express  himself  honored  by  their 
visit.  Their  welcome  was  most  cordial.  Entering,  they 
were  presented  to  Anna  Vassolich,  wife  of  their  host, 
and  the  only  member  of  the  family  beside  himself  at 
home,  the  two  sons  being  absent  in  the  army. 

The  mansion  was  heated  by  furnaces,  but  a  vast 
fire  blazed  in  the  wide  chimney  of  the  parlor.  After 
a  short  conversation,  the  guests  retired  to  their  bed 
rooms,  and,  reappearing,  were  conducted  to  the  dining- 
table,  loaded  in  the  Russian  style  of  prodigal  rural 
hospitality.  Generous  wines  followed  the  repast,  and  then 
the  pipe-boy  presented  long  Turkish  Meerschaums,  carved 
and  arranged  in  the  true  oriental  style,  and  filled 
with  the  best  tobacco.  While  the  three  gentlemen 
were  indulging  thus  luxuriously,  and  the  smoke  was 
ascending  in  clouds  illuminated  by  the  blaze  of  the 
fire  and  circling  around  the  lamps,  the  Prince  led  the 
conversation  to  the  object  of  his  visit. 

"May  I  inquire,"  he  began,  "how  the  serfs  behaved 
after  the  emancipation  in  your  district  ? " 

"  Strangely  enough,  your  Highness,"  answered  his 
host,  slightly  voluble  with  the  wine,  "  my  rascals  were 
not  contented  with  the  title  to  half  my  estate.  By 
virtue  of  some  peasant  tradition,  they  actually  claimed 
the  whole,  and  clamored  because  the  Law  would  not 
give  them  their  right.  Under  the  old  order  of  things 


570  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

we  would  have  stopped  their  insolence  with  the  whip, 
but  by  a  little  management  our  difficulties  were  ad 
justed.  Now  we  have  perfect  quiet,  and  the  half  of 
my  estate  yields  as  much  as  the  whole  formerly  pro 
duced,  estimating  the  various  dues  paid  me  by  the 
Commune." 

"Do  the  serfs  prize  their  liberty?"  asked  the  Bish 
op.  "I  have  heard  that  they  are  less  sober  and 
industrious  than  previous  to  the  Emancipation." 

"Liberty!"  exclaimed  Pavel  Vassolich,  with  a  laugh 
and  a  sneer;  "liberty  indeed!  What  care  peasants 
for  liberty?  A  good  home,  good  food,  good  clothes, 
good  land,  and  plenty  to  drink,  and  time  for  their 
fete  days— these  are  all  the  liberty  they  want.  Give 
them  these  and  you  may  make  them,  or  call  them 
slaves,  or  what  you  will.  I  think  they  drink  more  and 
idle  more  than  before  the  Emancipation,  but,  after  all, 
they  cultivate  their  land  well.  You  know  in  the 
Commune  they  settle  when  to  plough,  and  sow  and 
harvest  and  sell,  and  these  discussions  have  made 
them  become  more  intelligent  with  their  increased 
interest  and  responsibility." 

"And  what  has  been  the  effect  in  your  neighbor 
hood  of  the  other  great  privileges  granted  by  his 
Majesty  ? "  again  inquired  the  Prince. 

"  The  trial  by  jury,"  said  Pavel  Vassolich,  "if  sometimes 
interfered  with  by  the  Emperor's  Gendarmerie,  has  still 
proved  a  blessing,  and  the  Zemstvo.  where  peasant  and 
nobleman  consult  together,  is  a  great  social  bond.  In 
these  reforms  I  behold  a  grand  future  for  Russia.  I 


ST.    PETERSBURG.  571 

was  a  violent  enemy  to  them  all,  and  especially  to  the 
Emancipation,  but  after  twenty  years'  experience,  and 
allowing  for  all  frictions  and  disappointments,  I  believe 
that  our  Emperor,  in  the  after  generations,  will  be 
styled  the  Saviour  of  his  country." 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  so,"  exclaimed  the 
Prince,  with  the  utmost  animation.  "This  opinion, 
from  a  man  of  your  position  and  influence,  will  be  a 
great  comfort  to  his  Majesty,  and,  Heaven  knows,  he 
needs  all  the  encouragement  possible.  Gloom  in  him 
self,  curses  from  others,  have  been  the  rewards  of  his 
noble  work." 

"In  my  view,"  said  the  Bishop,  "the  real  sufferers 
have  been  the  nobles.  They  have  transferred  to  the 
Commune  the  titles  to  more  than  half  their  lands,  and 
when  oppressed  by  mortgages  and  other  encumbrances, 
they  have  invariably  sunk  into  bankruptcy,  despair,  and 
final  ruin." 

"Yes,"  replied  the  Prince,  "and  it  is  the  discontent 
of  the  nobles  which  supplies  the  ranks  of  the  Nihilists, 
and  fills  Russia  with  blood  and  terror.  But,  think  of 
the  grand  achievement !  The  serfs  of  the  State,  and 
of  the  nobility  together,  numbered  nearly  fifty  millions. 
What  measure  in  the  world's  history  ever  reached  to 
the  magnitude  of  Alexander's  Emancipation  ?  In  the 
end,  it  will  stand  forth  like  an  old  pyramid,  crowned 
with  the  flame  of  heaven  and  strong  in  the  guardian 
ship  of  the  Almighty  Power.  The  Emperor,  on  its 
summit,  will  be  the  Colossus  of  Beneficence  in  the  coming 
history  of  humanity." 


572  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

"Possibly,"  resumed  Pavel  Vassolich,  "I  have  grown 
into  a  better  opinion  of  the  measure  than  others,  because 
of  nay  unexpected  success,  which  has  been  mostly  due 
to  a  peasant,  Peter  Ivanovich,  a  village  Elder  and  the 
Oracle  of  the  Commune." 

"Ah!"  exclaimed  the  Prince,  with  a  brightening 
eye  and  face,  "that  name  recalls  the  object  of  my 
visit.  Peter  Ivanovich  is  the  very  man  I  wish  to  see, 
and  inquire  about  his  old  mother,  Katrine.  Does  she 
yet  live?" 

"  I  am  glad,  your  Highness,"  answered  the  host, 
"to  be  able  to  say  that  she  does.  She  is  a  worthy 
mother  of  a  worthy  son,  and  we  do  all  possible  for 
her  comfort.  But  she  is  now  a  sad  fragment  of  her 
self.  Not  only  is  she  extremely  feeble,  but  blind, 
deaf,  and  we  fear  dumb,  since,  she  has  not  spoken  a 
single  word  for  a  year." 

"Can  you  so  arrange  it  to-morrow  morning  that  the 
Bishop  and  myself  can  see  her  alone,  at  the  home  of 
her  son?" 

"Certainly,  your  Highness,"  replied  the  host,  "and 
with  the  greatest  pleasure." 

After  these  words,  the  gentlemen  said  good-night, 
and  retired  to  their  apartments.  Having  arisen  and 
dispatched  a  substantial  breakfast,  they  proceeded  to 
the  house  of  Peter  Ivanovich,  the  village  Elder  and 
the  Kozain,  or  Big  One  of  his  own  family.  The  house 
was  one  of  those  low,  irregular  log  constructions,  usu 
ally  inhabited  by  the  Russian  peasant,  and  its  Head, 
with  his  large,  blue  eyes,  high  forehead  and  regular 


ST.    PETERSBURG.  573 

features,  his  fair  beard,  his  long,  light-flowing  hair 
parted  in  the  middle,  presented  a  reverend  appearance 
corresponding  to  his  position  in  the  Commune,  and  in 
his  own  home.  In  his  face  were  imperturbable  gravity 
and  composure.  Nor  was  his  sheep-skin  coat  ungrace 
ful.  He  welcomed  his  distinguished  guests  with  a  low 
obeisance,  but  in  his  manner  was  neither  impudence 
nor  servility.  Rather,  he  stood  forth  with  the  modest 
independence  of  a  man. 

The  Prince  at  once  entered  on  his  business,  asking : 

"Are  you  Peter,   the  son  of   Katrine  Ivanovich?" 

"I  am,  your  Highness,"  answered  the  Kozain,  with 
a  slight  inclination  of  his  person. 

"Was    she    once    nurse    in     the     family    of    Prince 
Alexis  Romanoff?" 

"  She  was,  for  many  years,  your  Highness,"  said  the 
Elder. 

"Did  she  accompany  his  family  to  Paris,  and  how 
many  years  since  ? "  continued  the  Prince. 

"She  went  there  first,  your  Highness,  about  fifteen 
years  ago,  and  remained  in  that  city  about  five  years. 
She  was  the  nurse  of  his  only  child,  Marie." 

The  Prince  became  agitated  as  he  pursued  his  ex 
amination. 

"When  did  she  leave  his  service?"  he  inquired,  with 
visible  anxiety. 

"About  ten  years  since.  The  child  was  lost  while 
under  her  care  in  Paris,  and  she  was  sent  back  here 
in  disgrace." 

"Has  she  lived  with  you  ever  since?" 


574  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

"She  has,  your  Highness.  But  grief  weighed  upon 
her.  She  sank  gradually  into  a  sad  and  helpless  state, 
becoming  first  deaf,  then  blind,  and  now  we  fear 
dumb." 

"Do  you  think  it  would  be  possible  to  learn  from 
her  the  particulars  of  the  loss  of  the  child  ? " 

"I  do  not,  Your  Highness;  but  you  can  see  her 
and  I  will  help  you  all  I  can." 

"  Lead  the  way !  We  will  make  the  attempt," 
answered  the  Prince. 

They  entered  the  house.  Katrine  sat  before  them 
knitting  a  long  stocking.  She  was  a  tall,  thin,  erect 
woman,  unlike  a  northern  Russian,  her  hair  being 
black  as  night,  and  unsnowed  by  age  and  sorrow;  it 
hung  in  wild  ringlets  about  her  neck,  giving  her  a 
most  startling  appearance.  Long  dark  lashes  shaded 
her  sightless  eyes.  Her  face  was  wrinkled,  sunken, 
and  attenuated,  and  over  it  the  shadow  of  woe. 
Bony  and  busy  fingers  plied  their  task  with  ceaseless 
rapidity  and  accuracy,  although  for  years  no  ray  had 
entered  those  blind  balls  in  their  cavernous  depths. 
The  nose  of  Katrine  was  high  and  beaked,  her  cheek 
bones  prominent,  and  by  some  caprice  of  nature  she 
belonged  to  a  type  native  to  a  distant  soil.  When 
the  party  entered  she  sat  unmoved.  Evidently  her 
sealed  senses  gave  no  intimation  of  any  presence  other 
than-  her  own. 

Peter  Vassolich  first  shouted  in  his  mother's  ear, 
then  shook  her  arm,  and  used  every  conceivable  expe 
dient  to  arouse  her  from  her  lethargy.  When  she 


ST.    PETERSBURG.  575 

felt  his  hand  she  lifted  her  face  in  a  sort  of  dumb 
importunity,  and  then  plied  her  fingers  faster  than 
ever,  as  if  to  redeem  the  time  she  had  lost.  Her  whole 
soul  was  in  the  stocking  she  was  working.  An  half 
hour  passed.  Her  son  could  make  no  impression,  and 
at  last  withdrew  from  the  room  in  despair. 

As  if  inspired  by  Heaven,  a  happy  thought  flashed 
over  the  Prince.  He  planted  himself  before  the  woman 
and  said,  in  his  old  tone  and  manner : 

"Katrine!" 

It  seemed  like  the  voice  of  life  itself  penetrating 
the  grave  and  reanimating  the  dead.  The  poor  crea 
ture  raised  her  head,  and  rolled  round  her  blind  eyes 
in  mingled  fear  and  wonder. 

Now,  in  a  voice  slightly  louder,  the  Prince  called 
again — "  Katrine." 

She  rose  to  her  feet.  Her  breathing  became  thick 
and  fast.  A  new  vigor  was  in  her  body,  which 
swayed  to  and  fro  with  her  agitation.  She  turned  her 
face  as  if  listening  for  the  familiar  sound  again.  Her 
features  began  to  assume  a  look  of  intelligence. 

A  third  time  and  with  an  increasing  emphasis  the 
Prince  cried  "Katrine." 

At  last  the  woman  stood  before  them  transformed 
and  illuminated.  Light  seemed  to  shine  from  her  and 
about  her.  No  time  was  to  be  lost.  Another  moment 
might  sink  her  back  into  her  old  apathy.  Here  was 
the  opportunity  granted  by  Heaven. 

"  Katrine,  answer  me,"  said  the  Prince,  as  simply 
and  naturally  as  possible. 


576  KNIGHTS  OF  LABOR. 

She  replied  in  excellent  French,  just  as  she  would 
have  done  when  in  the  service  of  her  master  in 
Paris  : 

"May  it  please  your  Highness,   what  do  you  want?" 

"I  wish  you,"  resumed  the  Prince,  "to  tell  me  all 
about  my  little  lost  Marie." 

The  woman  uttered  a  shrill  shriek  which  pierced  the 
ears  and  hearts  of  those  who  heard  her.  She  fell  then 
on  the  floor,  and  foamed  and  writhed  as  if  under  the 
power  of  demoniacal  possession.  When  the  fearful  fit 
was  over,  she  arose  and  stood  with  the  most  perfect 
composure. 

As  if  nothing  had  happened,   the  Prince  inquired  : 

"When  Marie  was  lost  did  she  have  a  locket  round 
her  neck  ? " 

"  Katrine  replied  with  her  old  obeisance,  and  with 
entire  calmness  and  distinctness  : 

"Her  mother,  your  Highness,  gave  her  a  locket  with 
your  likeness  in  it  and  her  own."  • 

"Was  each  set  in  pearls  with  a  diamond  at  the 
top  ?  " 

"Yes,  your  Highness,"  she  answered,  "and  hung 
round  her  neck  with  a  chain  of  gold  clasped  by  a 
ruby." 

"What  words  were  on  it?" 

"  Ma  petite  file ! "  was  the  instant  reply. 

"Why  did  I  not  know  she  had  such  a  locket?" 

"Because,  your  Highness,  it  came  from  the  jewel 
ers  just  before  we  went  to  the  Bois  de  Bologne,  and 
my  lady,  the  Princess,  would  have  shown  it  to  you  on 


ST.     PETERSBURG.  577 

our  return — if— if,"  and  she  paused,  gazing  around  her 
with  a  look  of  indescribable  terror  and  suffering. 

"If  what?"  pressed  the  Prince,  in  an  agony  of  sus 
pense,  intense  as  her  own  alarm.  "  Tell  me  the  whole, 
fully  and  honestly." 

She  was  still  as  a  statue,  except  that  her  features 
were  working  in  mortal  dread. 

"Tell  me,  woman,"  cried  the  Prince,  sternly,  almost 
savagely  ;  "  tell  me  how  my  child  was  lost." 

These  words  loosed  the  tempest.  All  hell  seemed 
raging  in  that  wretched  breast,  as  Katrine  shrieked : 

"Lost!  Lost!  She  was  not  lost!  Oh,  my  sin,  my 
crime  !  This  has  bowed  my  head,  crushed  my  heart, 
blasted  my  life.  I  have  been  deaf,  dumb,  blind,  smit 
ten  by  God  Himself.  I  lied  to  you.  Had  I  told  the 
truth,  Marie  might  have  been  saved.  I  was  afraid. 
Hell  must  be  mine.  My  little  Marie  was  not  lost,  she 
was  stolen." 

"  Stolen  ! "  exclaimed  the  Prince,  fiercely.  "  Stolen 
by  whom  ?  " 

"  By  Prince  Ruric,"  said  the  woman,  with  sobs  and 
a  wild  stare.  "  He  took  Marie  in  his  arms,  and  put  a 
pistol  to  my  ear,  and  swore  he  would  kill  me  if  I  told. 
Oh,  he  looked,  your  Highness,  so  fierce  and  frenzied  ! 
I  see  him  now,"  she  cried,  placing  her  hands  before 
her  darkened  balls,  as  if  to  shut  out  the  frightful  vision. 
"  His  eye  glares,  and  his  face  scares  me  !  I  dared  not 
tell  you  the  truth,  even  to  save  my  Marie.  Oh !  my 
sin.  I  have  confessed.  A  Priest !  A  Priest !  Absolve 
me  !  Save  me." 


578  KNIGHTS  OF  LABOR. 

With  these  ejaculations,  Katrine  sank  on  her  knees, 
raised  her  blind  orbs  to  heaven,  and  stretched  upwards 
her  hands,  pleading  for  forgiveness. 

Bishop  Mcolai  now  advanced  and  explained  to  her 
that  he  was  a  Priest,  and  after  a  few  words  of  solemn 
instruction,  pronounced  over  her  the  Absolution  of  the 
Holy  Orthodox  Church. 

Instantly  peace  entered  her  soul  and  breathed  from 
her  features.  It  was  the  calm  after  the  tempest. 
Katrine  arose  from  her  knees,  sat  down  in  her  chair, 
resumed  her  knitting,  and  sank  back  into  her  old 
lethargy,  ever  afterwards  insensible  to  events  around 
her. 

Bishop  Mcolai  having  completed  on  the  spot  a  record 
of  what  the  woman  said  and  did,  he  and  the  Prince 
bade  farewell  to  Peter  Ivanovich,  who  received  more 
roubles  than  the  Commune  ever  paid  him  during  a 
whole  year. 

The  chain  of  evidence  was  complete.  Ruric,  after 
his  escape  from  Siberia,  had  wandered  out  of  Russia 
into  Germany,  insane  with  his  sufferings,  had  passed 
through  Switzerland,  he  knew  not  how,  and  then,  in  a 
mad  thirst  for  blood,  had  proceeded  to  Paris,  where  he 
knew  from  the  papers  Prince  Alexis  was  residing,  and 
who,  as  nephew  of  the  Czar,  he  burned  to  kill.  When 
watching  about  the  Avenue  Bois  de  Bologne,  he  had 
seen  Katrine  and  little  Marie  come  from  the  house  and 
go  to  the  Bois.  He  followed  them,  and,  with  a  flash 
of  demoniacal  instinct,  saw  that  he  could  inflict  a 
pang  keener  than  death.  He  would  rob  the  parents 


ST.     PETERSBURG.  579 

of  their  idol,  and  devote  her  to  himself  in  a  foreign 
land,  and  revel  in  a  woe  which  would  end  only  in  the 
grave.  Obeying  this  impulse  of  hell,  Kuric  snatched 
the  child,  threatened  the  nurse  in  the  frightful  manner 
she  described,  and  made  his  way  eventually  to  New 
York.  At  last,  from  the  grave  of  an  accursed  breast, 
had  been  wrung  its  blasting  secret,  and  the  rescued 
girl  would  now  arise  to  her  true  place  in  life. 

Having  expressed  their  thanks  and  said  farewell  to 
their  host  and  his  wife,  the  Prince  and  the  Bishop 
flew  back  over  the  crystal  snow  to  the  capital.  His 
Highness  would  entrust  to  no  other  the  sacred 
communication  to  his  daughter.  With  the  confession 
of  Katrine  he  hastened  over  the  wintry  ocean  to 
America. 

Nearly  twenty  years  before  this  time,  Admiral 
Stewart,  by  the  order  of  his  Government,  had'spent  a  year 
in  St.  Petersburg,  and  his  wife  had  been  an  enthusiasm 
in  the  city  and  the  Court.  They  had  especially 
become  intimate  with  the  Prince  and  Princess  Romanoff. 
After  the  discovery  of  his  daughter,  until  the  proofs  of 
her  identity  were  legally  complete,  Mrs.  Stewart  was 
requested  to  receive  Marie  into  her  household.  That 
lady  at  first  objected,  chiefly  on  account  of  the  pres 
ence  of  her  son.  The  Prince  laughed  at  the  scruple, 
saying,  that  Russian  royalty  might  do  worse  than 
recruit  its  ranks  from  republican  kings.  Mrs.  Stewart 
yielded  against  her  judgment.  The  girl  was  provided 
with  the  best  pirvate  teachers,  and,  under  the  influence 
of  a  refined  home,  bloomed  into  the  beauty  of  an  ideal 


580  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

womanhood.  She  was  such  a  creature  as  any  father 
might  adore. 

Who  can  describe  the  joy  in  those  two  breasts,  when 
the  acknowledgment  of  the  sacred  tie  was  made  ? 
What  sobs  and  tears  !  What  smiles  of  gratitude  and 
love  !  What  words  and  looks  and  endearments  !  It  was 
a  moment  of  almost  celestial  bliss.  A  new  world  of 
the  affections  was  opened  in  those  souls.  The  past 
melted  away.  Hereafter,  the  father  and  the  daughter 
were  as  if  they  had  never  been  apart.  But,  as  the 
time  of  her  departure  drew  near,  a  cloud  was  observed 
on  the  Princess.  The  fears  of  the  father  were  excited. 
It  was  not  long  before  he  had  the  embarrassing  secret. 

One  day,  the  Prince  said,  smilingly,  to  Mrs.  Stewart : 

"Madam,   the  maternal  instinct  is  infallible." 

"Ah!  your  Highness,"  answered  Mrs.  Stewart,  "you 
then  acknowledge  it  to  be  so.  I  fear  your  confession 
comes  too  late." 

"That  depends  on  you,  madam,  and  your  esteemed 
son,"  replied  the  Prince,  gravely. 

"  I  had  a  clear  prescience  of  the  result,  and  put  your 
Highness  on  your  guard,"  answered  Mrs.  Stewart,  with 
dignity. 

"I  have  only  myself  to  blame,  and  I  will  not  fear 
the  consequences  if  you  will  accede  to  my  terms,"  said 
the  Prince. 

"Surely,  surely,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Stewart,  "my  son 
has  not  abused  his  position  and  violated  his  honor  by 
ensnaring  the  affections  of  your  daughter.  He  is  too 
noble  for  that.  It  is  impossible." 


ST.    PETERSBURG.  581 

"Not  at  all,"  answered  the  Prince,  "the  tendrils  of 
the  young  heart  unconsciously  clung  to  the  first  object, 
and  it  proved  a  worthy  one.  No  words  have  ever 
passed  between  your  son  and  my  daughter.  Love,  like 
a  flower,  has  grown  in  the  silence,  and  is  fully  matured. 
The  soul  of  my  Marie  lives  in  that  of  your  Frank."  i 

"  And  I  am  just  as  certain,"  replied  Mrs.  Stewart, 
gaily,  "  that  the  soul  of  my  Frank  lives  in  that  of  your 
Marie." 

"We  dare  not  separate  them,"  said  the  Prince,  "it 
would  be  too  cruel.  It  would  kill  my  child.  Yes, 
my  sweet  flower  would  die.  What  remains  ?  My 
Marie  cannot  remain  here.  The  Czar,  my  uncle,  could 
never  permit  it.  But  your  son  could  come  to  Russia. 
Only,  however,  I  know,  if  you  will  accompany  him; 
He  will  never  leave  you  behind.  Oh,  the  difficulties 
are  too  many.  I  fear  that  you  will  never  leave  your 
country." 

Mrs.    Stewart  undertook  to  remove  the  obstacles,  and 

• 

she  succeeded.  Edward  had  become  President  of  the 
Railroad,  and  had  bought  and  occupied  the  mansion 
of  General  Sparker,  having  added  to  his  grounds  those 
of  Bidman.  He  was  thus  on  the  summit  of  his  pro 
fession  and  his  ambition.  But  he  saw  a  grand  career 
in  Russia.  His  quick  glance  perceived  how  useful  he 
oould  be  in  that  vast  and  splendid  empire,  and  his 
head  soon  followed  his  heart.  The  struggle  to  renounce 
his  country  was  sometimes  intense,  but  to  abandon  Marie 
was  even  more  agonizing.  The  Prince  promised  to 
appoint  him  Grand  Controller  of  the  Railways  of  the  empire, 


582  KNIGHTS    OF   LABOR. 

and  assured  him  that  the  Czar  would  confer  a  title  and 
estate,  corresponding  to  his  own  rank  and  name,  as  a 
member  of  the  imperial  family.  Mrs.  Stewart  would 
not  withhold  her  assent,  and  agreed  to  accompany  her 
son,  who  also  secured  in  advance  for  his  friend,  John 
Standfast,  the  Mastership  of  the  Railway  workshops  of 
Russia. 

The  terms  thus  adjusted,  and  their  arrangements 
made,  the  joyful  party  sailed  for  St.  Petersburg,  and 
in  less  than  three  weeks  were  entering  the  Neva  in  a 
small  steamer  which  took  them  from  their  splendid 
government  vessel.  It  was  the  morning  of  the  last 
day  of  May.  Stewart  stood  alone  on  the  bow  of  the 
swift  little  vessel.  His  reflections  were  overwhelming, 
in  view  of  what  he  had  left  behind,  and  of  his  splen 
did  prospects  in  the  future.  Before  him,  as  the  Neva 
narrowed,  was  the  capital  of  Russia,  sitting  like  a 
queen  between  the  immensities  of  the  sea  and  of  the 

sky,  and  wearing  on  her  brow,  as  a  crown,  the  gold  of 

• 

the  dome  of  St.  Isaac's,  now  outlined  in  its  majesty 
on  the  purple  of  a  morning  cloud.  The  four  bell- 
towers  formed  a  royal  tiara.  See  !  there  the  Admiralty 
lifts  its  arrowy  spire  glittering  into  heaven  !  Now  in 
their  superb  curves  stand  aloft  the  oriental  domes  of  the 
Muscovite  St.  Michael's  the  Archangel !  Pyramids  and 
crosses  gleam  and  flash  in  the  morning  sun !  The 
Winter  Palace  lifts  itself  almost  with  the  grandeur  of 
a  mountain !  Scarcely  in  the  world  could  Stewart 
have  beheld  a  more  splendid  and  impressive  spectacle. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

THE  PALACE  OF  THE  CZARS. 

the  midst  of  the  old  town  of 
Novgorod  is  an  open  space.  On 
the  right  stands  the  cathedral  and 
the  archiepiscopal  palace,  and  to 
the  left  are  the  long  government 
buildings.  Precisely  in  the  center  of  the 
area  towers  a  curious  colossal  monument. 
On  a  massive  stone  pedestal  rests  an  enor 
mous  globe  covered  with  mystic  figures. 
The  eccentric  structure  commemorates  the 
one  thousandth  birthday  of  Russia,  and 
the  great  national  fact  that  the  Sclavo- 
nians  called  from  the  tribe  Rus,  to  be 
their  king,  Ruric  who  long  ruled  Novgorod.  Cen 
turies  after  his  reign  came  Ivan  the  Terrible  with 
chain  and  torch  and  sword.  The  Muscovite  Czar  laid 
a  hand  of  blood  and  iron  on  the  venerable  city.  Monks 
and  priests  were  bound  and  flogged  until  they  bought 
themselves  from  torture.  Officers  and  merchants  were 
given  to  the  fire  ;  their  wives  and  children  hurled  into 
the  water,  where  soldiers  in  boats  killed  those  attempt 
ing  to  escape.  A  bubbling  below  the  bridge,  in  the 


586  KNIGHTS    OF   LABOR. 

popular  tradition,  now  indicates  where  the  spirits  of 
the  murdered  are  still  struggling  for  deliverance. 

The  descendants  of  the  old  Novgorod  Ruric  were 
the  Russikoffs,  who  were  kings  long  before  the  Ro 
manoffs  were  Czars.  After  the  destruction  we  have 
described,  some  of  the  former  family  rose  into  wealth 
and  power,  but  always  with  an  open  or  secret  hostility 
to  the  tyrants  of  their  ancestors.  One  in  the  reign  of 
Catharine  erected  a  stately  palace  on  the  great  Nevsky 
Prospekt,  which,  during  the  early  part  of  the  present 
century  had  been  sold,  and  now,  within  a  few  months, 
purchased  and  occupied  by  a  reputed  American  gentle 
man,  whose  vast  wealth,  splendid  appearance,  and  ele 
gant  accomplishments,  made  him  the  most  conspicuous 
figure  in  the  capital  of  the  Empire. 

If,  at  eight  o'clock  on  a  certain  evening,  we  had 
entered  a  secret  room  of  the  Russikoff  palace,  we 
would  have  discovered  the  name  of  this  dashing  and 
admired  republican.  He  is  sitting  in  an  elevated 
chair  at  the  head  of  a  large  table,  with  two  persons 
on  either  side,  who  appear  to  form  a  committee  over 
which  he  presides.  Surely  he  is  an  old  acquaintance  ! 
His  face  and  voice  seem  familiar !  Yes  !  It  is  Ruric ! 
He  is  shaven,  and  there  are  some  attempts  at  disguise, 
but  we  cannot  long  doubt  his  identity.  He  is  now 
chief  of  the  Nihilistic  Executive  Committee  of  the  Rus 
sian  Empire.  At  this  moment  he  is  plotting  the  death 
of  the  Czar!  Is  it  hereditary  hate?  Is  it  the  spirit 
of  his  ancestor,  the  old  Ruric,  flaming  now  in  the 
breast  of  his  namesake  and  descendant?  Is  he,  after 


THE    PALACE    OF    THE    CZARS.  587 

centuries,  to  be  the  avenging  angel  of  his  house  ?  The 
blood  shed  on  that  cruel  day  in  Novgorod  by  the  mus- 
covite  Ivan  !  Is  it  crying  from  the  ground  ?  Will 
the  nineteenth  century  avenge  the  sixteenth  ?  Is  the 
spot  of  murder  still  on  the  house  of  the  Czar  ?  Can 
all  this  torture  of  an  imperial  family  be  the  curse  of 
a  vengeance  transmitted  from  the  crime  of  their  pro 
genitor  ?  Deep,  true,  long,  sure,  terrible  is  the  retribu 
tion  of  Heaven  ! 

The  discussion  had  been  intense  and  protracted,  and 
-we  will  intrude  ourselves  at  its  close.  Ruric  said, 
"We  must  now  terminate  our  debate,  and  have  the 
report  of  the  Grand  Treasurer." 

Karl  Grenofskil  replied  : 

"We  are  receiving  money  from  all  classes  of  the 
empire — peasants  and  noblemen  contribute  alike.  In 
deed,  supplies  flow  into  our  treasury  from  every  part 
of  the  world.  After  paying  all  our  expenses  we  will 
have  left  nearly  a  half  million  of  roubles." 

"  Satisfactory,  indeed  ! "  cried  Ruric,  with  delight. 
i(  Money  is  the  test  of  devotion,  and,  measured  by  that 
standard,  never  was  a  consecration  more  complete.  Our 
Grand  Secretary  will  now  inform  us  if  there  is  any 
thing  new  in  his  department." 

"Nothing,"  replied  Victor  Sobieski,  "necessary  to 
communicate  in  detail.  I  am  receiving  letters  from  every 
district  of  the  empire  and  every  region  of  the  globe. 
They  breathe  and  burn  with  encouragement.  Even 
learned  men  give  us  cheer.  Recently  at  a  commence 
ment  of  the  greatest  university  in  America  its  greatest 


588  KNIGHTS    OF   LABOR. 

orator    surpassed    himself    in    his    eloquent    approval    of 
our  principles  and  our  practice." 

"I  know  him  well,"  replied  Ruric,  "and  I  have 
his  private  letters  which  inspire  me  with  courage  and 
with  confidence.  He  is  more  valuable  than  tons  of 
dynamite,  and  equally  as  explosive,  and  unconscious 
of  his  destructive  power.  Indeed  he  is  sublime,  both 
in  moral  virtue  and  intellectual  force,  and  is  the  great 
est  accession  Nihilism  has  yet  received.  Now,  more 
important  than  all,  will  the  Duke,  our  Grand  Inspector, 
give  us  his  report  ? " 

"I  can  only,"  responded  Vlademir  Yaroslav,  "say, 
that  I  have  just  finished  a  tour  of  the  empire.  Every 
where  men,  women,  even  children,  bade  me  welcome. 
Nobles  are  more  enthusiastic  than  peasants.  I  shall 
soon  commence  my  voyage  of  inspection  over  the  world. 
Nihilism  in  all  lands  will  stand  one  compact  phalanx 
against  the  throne  of  the  Czar.  Mankind  cries  death 
to  tyrants  ! " 

"  Better  and  better,"  said  Ruric,  in  an  ecstasy.  "  Most 
interesting  of  all,  I  call  on  our  Grand  Recorder  for  her 
address." 

Sophie  Petrovna,  a  girl  of  eighteen,  and  a  Princess 
of  the  Empire,  remarkable  for  beauty  and  genius,  read, 
in  a  clear,  musical  voice,  the  following : 

"  Awake,  Russia !  Devoured,  oppressed,  awake  1 
Shake  off  thy  yoke !  Death  to  the  spy  and  to  the 
soldier !  Too  long  have  you  been  under  this  Tartar 
Khan !  Tell  him  now  that  the  throne  of  the  Czar  is 
not  the  altar  of  God  !  Stand  fearless  before  the  des- 


THE    PALACE    OF    THE    CZARS. 

pot !  Call  him  to  account  for  his  exiles,  his  imprison 
ments,  his  tortures,  his  bloody  wars,  ceaseless  taxations, 
interminable  tyrannies  !  Say  to  him,  you  have  fettered 
the  Press,  degraded  the  University,  plundered  the  Peas 
ant,  outraged  the  Noble,  chained  Freedom,  banished 
Peace,  murdered  Truth  itself !  The  hour  has  come  for 
Vengeance  !  Czar,  thou  hast  been  weighed  and  found 
wanting !  No  longer  shalt  thou  live  !  Thy  people 
demand  thy  blood  !  Justice  will  have  it  !  A  million 
lives  are  pledged  for  thy  death !  Thy  family  shall 
perish !  Our  Victory  is  secure  1  Russia  shall  live,  and 
the  ages  bless  Nihilism  !" 

"  Perfect ! "  "  Admirable  ! "  "  Wonderful  ! "  "  An 
Inspiration ! "  were  repeated  on  all  sides.  The  woman 
stood,  with  flashing  eye  and  quivering  nostril,  like  a 
young  Pythoness  who  has  just  from  her  tripod  delivered 
the  oracle  of  fate. 

"  Now,"  resumed  Ruric,  "  I  must  make  my  own 
report.  It  regards  our  preparations  in  this  palace  of 
my  ancestors.  I  have  supervised  and  assisted  the 
labor.  All  the  vaults  and  cellars  are  filled  with  the 
excavations.  The  passage  from  this  house  under  the 
avenue  is  finished,  the  dynamite  is  stored,  the  batteries 
are  complete,  and  we  only  wait  for  the  Czar  to  drive 
over,  when  a  touch  of  the  wires  will  close  the  circuit, 
and  explode  him  to  fragments.  This  final  work  and 
its  peril  I  reserve  for  myself.  We  only  want  a  person 
who,  on  the  glorious  day,  will  dare  mount  and  drive 
the  carriage  of  the  Emperor  over  the  fatal  place,  and 
by  a  wave  of  the  hand  indicate  that  the  imperial  vie- 


590  KNIGHTS    OF   LABOR. 

tim  is  within.  The  keeper  of  the  royal  stables  is  a 
Nihilist,  and  will  employ  whomsoever  we  designate. 
Death  and  glory  are  the  rewards  of  the  work.  No 
man  yet  has  been  found  who  is  willing  to  perish  for 
the  destruction  of  the  tyrant." 

A  dreadful  silence  followed  these  words.  Each  of 
the  four  members  of  the  Committee  was  expected  by 
Kuric  to  be  ready,  like  himself,  for  the  sacrifice.  All 
seemed  appalled.  The  stillness  grew  oppressive.  One 
daring  soul  was  only  waiting  until  it  was  evident 
there  would  be  no  competitors.  This  assured,  a  woman's 
voice  broke  the  embarrassing  silence.  The  youthful 
Princess  Petrovna,  exclaimed  : 

"  I  will  undertake  the  task  !  It  is  mine.  I  am  the 
favored  of  fate.  By  these  hands  shall  the  tyrant  be 
driven  to  his  death,  and  Russia  be  made  free.  Thus 
will  I  deliver  my  country  and  immortalize  myself." 

This  offer  excited  the  most  rapturous  applause.  The 
men  embraced  the  woman,  and  kissed  her  in  their  fond 
admiration.  Seating  her  there  as  on  a  throne  they 
knelt  around  her  in  a  circle,  and  adored  her  as  a 
divinity.  Always  when  Atheism  renounces  God  it 
worships  woman. 

On  the  very  night  of  this  conspiracy,  there  was  a 
Costume  Ball  at  the  Winter  Palace.  The  era  of  the 
Great  Ivan  was  to  be  represented.  All  the  performers 
were  assembled  in  the  immense  hall  and  waiting  in  a 
light  so  dim  that  they  could  not  discern  each  other. 
Suddenly  a  line  o£  flame  flashes  around  the  walls  !  The 
gigantic  candelabras  are  in  a  blaze  !  Light  floods  the 


THE    PALACE    OF    THE    CZARS.  591 

place  !  The  floor  and  marble  pillars  dazzle  the  eyes ! 
More  brilliant  than  day  is  -the  magic  illumination  ! 
And  what  a  burst  of  magnificence !  Gold !  Purple ! 
Crimson  !  A  sea  of  gorgeous  colors,  splendid  costumes, 
flashing  and  sparkling  jewels  !  The  rank,  the  wealth, 
the  glory  of  the  greatest  empire  of  the  world  !  Earth 
could  show  no  more  brilliant  and  impressive  spectacle. 

Seated  on  his  throne  in  the  center  of  the  hall  is 
the  Emperor  himself  in  the  royal  robes  of  the  Great 
Ivan.  Most  gracefully  they  depend  from  his  shoulders  ! 
His  noble  features  are  classic  in  their  regularity,  and 
his  posture  has  the  majesty  of  a  divinity.  In  his  hands 
is  his  scepter.  On  his  brow,  blazing  with  diamonds, 
is  the  imperial  crown,  which  circled  the  head  of  Ivan 
the  Terrible. 

Standing  on  the  right  of  the  Emperor,  also  in  royal 
costume,  is  the  Czarowitch,  a  noble  figure,  and  his  wife, 
the  Princess  Dagmar,  sitting  in  a  gilded  arm-chair,  behind 
which,  is  a  sheaf  of  white  and  red  camelias,  while 
around,  as  a  guard,  stand  ten  Mamelukes,  with  their 
rich  oriental  turbans,  twisted  with  gold,  and  their 
ample  trousers  girt  with  crimson  cashmere  scarfs. 

Who  stands  opposite  the  Emperor  with  folded  arms 
and  lofty  brow,  a  personage  in  stature  and  in  attitude 
as  commanding  as  the  Imperial  Sovereign  himself  ?  It 
is  Kuric,  in  the  costume  of  his  ancestors,  the  Kings  of 
Novgorod.  He  looks,  in  his  fierce  and  proud  dignity, 
like  the  avenger  of  his  race. 

With  the  burst  of  the  music  begins  the  polonaise. 
Splendid  is  the  procession  round  the  vast  hall.  First 


592  KNIGHTS   OF  LABOR. 

the  Emperor  Alexander,  leads  the  Princess  Dagmar  on 
his  arm,  followed  by  the  Czarowitch,  supporting  his 
cousin,  Marie  Romanoff.  Her  father  follows  side  by 
side  with  Euric,  who,  in  the  rush  and  inspiration  of  the 
moment,  is  forgetful  of  his  peril ;  and  then  come  in 
their  order,  Dukes  and  Counts,  and  interminable  nobles 
and  gentlemen.  All  the  hereditary  aristocratic  proclivi 
ties  of  the  Nihilist  rush  back  upon  him.  He  is  intoxi 
cated  and  whirls  in  the  dance,  and  utters  the  gay 
compliment  and  the  bright  repartee,  and  is,  above  all 
present,  conspicuous  for  the  nobleness  of  his  face  and 
person,  the  elegance  of  his  ^bearing,  and  his  refined  and 
courtly  gallantry.  Without  a  flush  of  the  cheek,  or  a 
quickening  from  his  heart,  he  dares  look  into  the  eyes 
of  the  Majesty  of  Russia.  Yes  !  he  stands  face  to  face 
before  the  man  whom  he  has  sworn  to  blow  into  frag 
ments,  and  whose  family  and  throne  he  would  obliterate. 
As  the  Nihilist  passed  out  from  the  gay  and  splen 
did  assemblage,  he  felt,  in  a  secluded  passage,  a  tap 
on  his  shoulder.  He  was  a  prisoner.  From  the  mo 
ment  he  entered  the  capital  he  had  been  marked,  and 
pursued,  and  all  his  plans  and  movements  reported  by 
the  Gendermerie.  The  proofs  were  overwhelming.  A 
formal  tribunal  was  not  necessary.  The  Nihilist  was 
hurried  to  a  distant  apartment  of  the  palace,  seized  and 
bound  with  his  back  to  the  table.  Then  followed  an 
hour  of  intense  silence  and  terrible  suspense.  Around 
was  a  dismal  twilight-gloom  in  fearful  contrast  with 
the  brilliance  he  had  left.  The  heart  of  Ruric  stood 
still.  Over  him  came  the  shadow  of  a  woe,  whose  mys- 


THE    PALACE    OF    THE    CZARS.  593 

tery  he  could  not  yet  penetrate.  His  foreboding  was 
worse  than  any  possible  reality  it  might  indicate.  Hark  ! 
a  click !  a  flash  !  a  sharp  pain  in  his  eyes !  a  quiver 
through  his  body !  he  utters  a  yell,  fearful  as  the  death- 
cry  of  a  horse  in  battle ;  a  loud,  clear,  terrible  outburst 
of  horror  and  despair.  It  seemed  a  wail  of  a  demon 
ol  nell.  The  chords  are  cut.  Ruric  is  lifted  from  the 
tauie  to  the  floor.  Just  before  the  electric  flash,  the 
room  had  been  filled  suddenly  with  dazzling  light. 
Has  it  been  extinguished  ?  It  is  a  midnight  around  the 
Nihilist  now.  He  does  not  yet  understand  it.  Strange, 
no  ray  penetrates  his  gloom.  Silence  and  darkness 
reign  together.  Now  he  comprehends  it.  He  is  blind. 
The  spark  has  blasted  his  eyes  forever.  He  will  never 
again  see  himself,  nor  the  earth,  nor  the  sun.  Night, 
night,  night — always  and  everywhere !  It  is  not  now 
the  prison,  the  mine,  the  block  from  which  he  may 
escape.  Nor  is  it  the  rest  of  the  grave.  He  is  to  be 
ever  a  sightless  beggar.  As  he  realized  this  dark  and 
fearful  future,  Ruric  fell  to  the  floor  as  dead.  A  great 
horror  is  on  him.  He  remains  insensible  for  hours. 
At  last  he  revives.  He  arises.  He  gropes  round  the 
room,  and  feels  for  the  door.  He  creeps  down  the  stairs. 
He  is  on  the  street.  The  breath  of  heaven  is  on  his  face 
but  only  to  chill  him  into  increased  horror.  Where 
shall  he  go  ?  What  shall  he  do  ?  Who  will  have 
pity  on  him  ?  There  is  no  sun  in  the  sky,  and  no 
hope  in  his  heart.  His  punishment  is  greater  than  he 
can  bear.  Solitude  becomes  intolerable,  and  darkness 
insupportable.  Tears  continually  rain  from  his  blind 


594 


KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 


eyes.  He  is  hungry  and  must  beg.  But  the  boys  pelt 
him,  and  the  dogs  bark  at  him,  and  he  is  driven 
away,  because  on  his  breast,  in  staring  letters,  is  the 
word — Nihilist.  Pale,  hungry,  emaciated,  he  wanders 
about  for  days,  until  his  reason  begins  to  reel.  When, 
at  the  last  extremity,  nature  is  exhausted,  and  he  prays 
for  death,  he  feels  himself  clasped  to  a  warm  and 
friendly  breast.  Ruric  is  in  the  arms  of  his  brother 
Nicolai. 


"  Never  had  Alexander  looked  more  like  himself  » 
Page  597. 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

THE  EMPEROR  OF  RUSSIA. 
I 

N  the  Nevska  Prospekt,  near  the  Fon- 
tanka  Canal,  stands  the  Imperial 
Palace,  preferred  by  the  Emperor 
Nicholas  for  his  residence.  It  was 
in  one  of  its  exquisite  little  recep 
tion-rooms,  fronting  the  Grand  Avenue,  and 
commanding  a  noble  view  of  the  city,  that 
Prince  Alexis  was  to  meet  his  uncle,  the 
Czar.  Since  the  return  of  the  nephew, 
there  had  been  no  really  satisfactory  inter 
view,  and  in  this  it  was  expected  that  the 
confidence  would  be  full  and  mutual.  Owing  to  a 
slight  error  in  his  watch,  the  Prince  was  a  few  min 
utes  too  early.  Thus  it  happened  that  the  Emperor, 
returning  from  a  review  of  troops,  chanced  to  see  his 
nephew  by  a  passing  glance,  and  entered  the  room 
without  ceremony.  Affection  and  pleasure  beamed  from 
his  face.  The  Prince  arose,  knelt  before  him,  kissed 
his  extended  hand,  and  then  was  lifted  up  by  his 
uncle  and  pressed  to  his  breast  by  a  long  and  warm 
embrace. 

Never  had  Alexander  looked  more  like  himself.      His 


598  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

usual  look  of  gloom  had  vanished.  The  spectacle  of 
the  troops  had  inspired  him,  and  the  keen  air  had 
brought  back  to  his  cheeks  the  glow  of  his  youth.  He 
wore  his  military  uniform,  and  most  noticeably  the  high, 
massive,  old-fashioned  epaulettes  of  gold.  Over  his 
right  shoulder,  and  down  across  his  breast,  was  a 
splendid  crimson  scarf,  and  around  his  waist  a  rich 
sash  of  a  darker  hue.  The  collar  and  breast  of  his  coat 
were  embroidered  in  yellow  with  the  most  delicate  skill. 
Between  his  right  arm  and  his  body  he  carried  his 
cavalry  cap,  whose  long,  white,  graceful  feathers  waved 
with  every  touch  of  the  breeze  or  motion  of  his  person. 
On  his  left  breast  shone  his  Imperial  badge,  and  sus 
pended  from  it  a  brilliant  diamond  cross.  It  was  the 
very  military  dress  of  his  grandfather,  Alexander,  which 
had  gained  him  the  reputation  of  being  the  handsomest 
monarch  in  Europe,  and  it  now  gave  to  his  successor 
a  look  of  manly  majesty,  becoming  the  Emperor  of  the 
Russias. 

With  easy  grace  and  dignity  Alexander  seated  him 
self  on  a  sofa,  and  motioned  his  nephew  to  take  a 
place  by  his  side. 

"I  am,  indeed,  glad  to  see  you  at  our  leisure,  and 
to  prove  by  my  own  eyes  that  your  long  and  weary 
exile  is  over.  I  rejoice  your  search  has  been  success 
ful,  and  that  the  beauty  and  brilliance  of  your  daugh 
ter  so  fully  repay  your  toil  and  peril." 

"Heaven  has,  indeed,  been  kind,"  replied  the  Prince, 
tenderly.  "  The  charms  and  affections  of  my  Marie 
inspire  me  with  constant  gratitude.  How  happy  I  am 


THE    PALACE    OF    THE    CZARS.  599 

to  see  your  Majesty  almost  in  the  vigor  of  your 
youth." 

"  Truly  you  have  cause  for  thankfulness,"  said  the 
Emperor.  "  I  have  finished  reading  your  report,  and 
the  account  of  your  adventures  thrilled  me  with  the 
keenest  interest.  Your  observations  on  various  countries, 
and  especially  the  great  Kepublic,  are  most  instructive, 
and  I  have  ordered  them  to  be  made  a  part  of  the 
records  of  my  Empire." 

"I  am,  indeed,  gratified,  your  majesty,  that  you 
have  been  pleased  and  profited  by  my  narration," 
answered  the  Prince,  glowing  with  satisfaction. 

"And  now,"  resumed  the  Emperor,  "I  will  fulfill  an 
intention  conceived  years  since.  I  appoint  you  my 
immediate  and  confidential  Grand  Counsellor,  and  shall 
admit  you  to  my  presence  as  my  most  trusted  and 
intimate  adviser." 

The  Prince  knelt  before  his  uncle,  and  kissing  his 
hand,  dropped  a  tear,  which  was  not  unfelt,  and  never 
forgotten.  When  he  returned  to  his  place,  he  said  : 

*  May  it  please  your  Majesty,  I  am  compelled  to 
speak  to  you  on  a  subject  the  most  delicate  and  em 
barrassing.  After  the  recovery  of  my  Marie,  and  until 
the  legal  proofs  of  her  identity  were  secured,  I  left  her 
in  America,  under  the  care  of  an  old  friend,  Mrs. 
Admiral  Stewart,  whose  grace,  beauty  and  intelligence 
excited  St.  Petersburg  fifteen  years  since.  She  has  a 
son  who  greatly  resembles  her,  and  whose  career  has 
been  successful  and  splendid.  Without  an  exchange 
of  words  he  and  Marie  contrived  an  exchange  of  hearts. 


600  KNIGHTS    OF   LABOR. 

I  found  that  her  happiness  centered  in  Mr.  Stewart. 
He  is  a  noble  man,  and,  in  comparative  youth,  has  risen 
to  be  President  of  one  of  the  great  railways  of  Amer 
ica.  Nothing  remained  but  to  persuade  him  to  live  in 
Kussia,  and  I  would  be  pleased  if  you  would  offer  him 
a  title  and  position  in  your  empire  worthy  of  my  rank, 
and  the  charms  of  my  daughter." 

"Nothing  could  afford  me  more  happiness,"  answered 
the  Czar-,  warmly.  "I  am  delighted  to  multiply  the 
ties  between  the  Republic  and  my  Empire.  The  hus 
band  of  my  little  Marie  shall  be  Prince  Stewart  Gallitzin 
Orloff,  and  Superintendent  of  the  Railways  of  Russia." 
"Thank  you.  Oh,  thank  your  Majesty,  and  thank 
Heaven,"  cried  the  Prince,  who,  again  kneeling,  kissed 
warmly  and  often  the  Imperial  hand.  "  Our  happi 
ness  is  complete.  A  mountain  is  lifted  from  my  heart 
and  a  midnight  from  my  path.  I  consecrate,  to  you 
and  your  Empire,  myself  and  my  family.  Long  may 
you  live  and  reign,  and  prosperous  may  be  your  suc 
cessors  !" 

At  these  words  a  shadow  crossed  the  face  of  the 
Emperor.  His  appearance  changed  in  an  instant.  The 
flush  fled  from  his  cheek,  the  light  from  his  eye  and 
his  voice  became  hollow  and  hesitating. 

"I  fear  for  myself  and  for  Russia,"  he  exclaimed, 
both  sadly  and  bitterly.  "My  grandfather  died  in 
gloom.  After  the  Crimean  disasters,  even  the  iron, 
Nicolas  passed  under  an  eclipse.  Now  the  hereditary^ 
darkness  gathers  over  me.  I  see  my  successor  flying 
from  the  rage  of  assassins,  defended  by  soldiers  they 


THE    EMPEROR    OF   RUSSIA.  601 

suspect,  hid  in  palaces  they  detest — the  Majesty  of 
Russia,  which  once  awed  the  world,  trembling  before  a 
few  desperate  men  and  frenzied  women  !  It  is  a  fear 
ful  vision,  and  it  shakes  my  soul  with  dread.  Night 
is  over  me  and  my  Empire." 

"  Oh,  say  not  so ! "  exclaimed  the  Prince,  in  the 
deepest  sorrow.  "  I  beseech  your  Majesty,  say  not  so  ! 
These  nihilistic  conspiracies  cannot  succeed.  They 
affront  the  noblest  instincts  of  our  nature.  A  few 
wretches  should  not  mar  your  peace  and  cloud  your 
hope." 

"They  are  not  a  few,"  answered  the  Czar  vehe 
mently.  They  are  many.  And  they  grow.  Nobles, 
made  bankrupt  by  the  Emancipation,  swell  their  ranks. 
Princes  are  among  them ;  yea,  the  sons  and  the  daugh 
ters  of  Princes.  Even  Justice  seems  turned  against 
me,  and  those  she  doomed  to  mines,  to  prisons,  to  the 
gallows,  have  multiplied  and  intensified  my  enemies  until 
they  fill  my  realm  and  alarm  the  world." 

"But  surely,  your  Majesty,  surely,"  responded  the 
Prince,  "assassinations  so  mean,  so  cowardly,  so  cruel, 
so  destructive,  often  of  the  innocent,  must  disgust  man 
kind,  and  perish  in  the  indignation  they  enkindled  ! " 

"Assuredly,"  said  the  Emperor,  with  more  composure; 
"but  before  they  cease  I  will  be  their  victim,  and 
Russia  be  wrapped  in  flames  and  stained  with  blood. 
Sovereignty  must  reside  in  the  one  or  in  the  many, 
It  cannot  be  divided.  Either  it  is  in  the  monarch  01 
it  is  in  the  people.  The  contest  is  now  between  th< 
divine  right  of  kings  and  the  divine  right  of  multitudes 


602  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

When  power  in  either  is  unquestioned,  there  is  peace ; 
but  when  in  transition  only  war.  This  was  the  strife 
in  England  until  the  Kevolution.  In  France,  from 
the  last  Louis  to  the  present  Republic  there  has 
been  a  century  of  blood.  Germany  is  now  expe 
riencing  the  throes  of  my  own  Empire.  No  Roman 
off  will  ever  part  with  his  sovereignty.  We  are  a 
family  of  monarchs.  But  the  people  are  more  power 
ful  than  we,  and  if  we  cannot  bend  we  must  break. 
Our  destiny  is  recorded.  Over  myself  is  the  shadow 
of  fate!" 

"  Oh,  your  majesty,"  cried  the  Prince  in  agony, 
"  your  people  can  never  forget,  the  world  can  never 
forget,  Heaven  can  never  forget  the  Emancipation. 
You  gave  liberty  to  millions.  Half  of  Russia  you 
transferred  to  the  Commune  !  You  granted  trial  by 
jury,  the  local  assembly,  and  other  privileges  which 
mark  the  grandest  era  in  human  progress.  You  must, 
you  will  have  the  thanks  of  the  human  race  ! " 

"  Thanks  ! "  exclaimed  the  Emperor,  caustically. 
"Thanks!"  he  repeated,  with  curling  lip  and  flashing 
eye.  "Thanks!"  he  added,  with  an  almost  furious 
anger  and  indignation.  "Yes!  thanks  in  daggers,  in 
pistols,  in  dynamite — thanks  in  plots,  assassinations, 
and  massacres — thanks  in  wounds,  blood  and  death — 
thanks  in  the  attempted  destruction  of  myself,  my 
family,  my  very  name  !  Such  are  the  rewards  of  my 
beneficence  ! " 

"  Oh,  wait,  your  Majesty,  wait,  but  wait,"  said 
the  Prince,  touched  into  tears.  "Time  will  vindicate 


THE    EMPEROR    OF    RUSSIA.  603 

you,  Russia  will  bless  you,  History  will  immortalize 
you,  Heaven  will  reward  you." 

"So  once  I  thought,"  replied  the  Emperor,  with  in 
describable  sadness.  "That  dream  of  my  youthful 
enthusiasm  has  also  perished.  I  yearned  to  give  my 
people  liberty.  What  was  the  result  ?  Nobles  and 
peasants  were  frenzied  with  wild  dreams,  and  angry 
because  the  gift  was  not  more  ample.  Crazed  with 
impossible  visions,  they  compelled  me  to  withdraw  the 
privileges  I  was  glad  to  bestow.  Their  own  mad  desires 
forced  me  to  repression.  They  made  necessary  exile, 
imprisonment  and  death.  They  wrested  from  my  hand 
the  gift  of  love  and  made  it  grasp  the  sword  of  justice. 
My  very  benevolence  has  clouded  me  with  a  darker 
hate  and  a  more  dahining  opprobrium." 

"Hard!"  replied  the  Prince,  "hard!  too,  too  hard! 
I  see,  as  never  before,  the  difficulties  of  your  Imperial 
position,  and  the  thorns  beneath  your  diadem,  and  I 
consecrate  anew  my  life  to  my  noble  and  generous 
master." 

"I  do  not  doubt  you,"  said  the  Emperor,  embracing 
him.  "But  fate  is  too  strong  for  us.  The  weapon 
is  ready  which  is  to  shatter  my  life.  Across  my  path 
is  a  grave.  One  monument  marks  my  deliverance, 
but  the  next  will  commemorate  my  destruction.  My 
father  held  back  the  avalanche,  knowing  it  could  not 
be  controlled  when  once  loose.  I,  in  my  young,  vain 
confidence,  gave  it  an  impulse,  and  it  has  ruined  me, 
•and  will  overwhelm  my  empire." 

The  Prince  was  deeply  moved,   and    saw  that  in   his 


604 


KNIGHTS    OF  LABOR. 


present  mood  it  would  be  impossible  to  console  the 
Emperor.  He  arose  to  bid  him  adieu.  The  gloom  in 
his  face  mocked  his  military  costume  and  imperial 
magnificence. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

A     RUSSIAN     ARCHBISHOP. 


N  the  next  morning  after  his  interview 
with  the  Prince,  Alexander,  at  the 
same  hour,  sat  in  the  Library  of  the 
Winter  Palace.  Before  him  was  a 
table  of  exquisite  and  remarkable 
workmanship,  furnished  not  only  for  the  con 
venience,  but  the  caprice  of  the  writer.  A 
clock  of  gold  ticked  on  the  side  opposite  his 
Majesty,  and  rang  out  each  quarter  in  a  tone 
of  liquid  silver.  Paper-knives,  and  paper 
weights,  pens,  inkstands,  all  the  appointments 
were  sufficient  to  meet  the  demands  of  royal  taste. 
Behind  the  Emperor  was  an  immense  sofa  which  had 
supported  the  form  of  Peter  the  Great,  and  a  lounge 
made  from  his  camp-bedstead.  Portraits  of  all  the 
Muscovite  monarchs  hung  round  the  walls,  and  grander 
than  even  Ivan  the  Terrible  was  the  imperious  Nicholas. 
Alexander  was  in  a  blue  satin  gown,  fringed  with 
ermine  and  tied  about  his  waist  with  a  purple  sash 
tasselled  with  gold.  The  defiant  and  unhappy  expres-, 
sion  of  the  previous  day  had  vanished.  A  calm  had 
come  into  his  soul  and  diffused  itself  over  his  features. 


008  KNIGHTS    OF   LABOR. 

Nor  was  the  tempest  ever  again  to  disturb  his  breast. 
He  had  fought  and  he  had  conquered. 

His  Majesty  was  expecting  the  Bishop  of  Novgorod, 
who  entered  at  the  appointed  hour,  knelt  before  his 
sovereign,  kissed  his  hand  and  was  invited  to  a  seat 
on  the  royal  sofa. 

"I  have  sent  for  you,  Bishop,"  began  the  Czar,  gra 
ciously,  "on  a  personal  matter  of  infinite  and  eternal 
consequence.  Your  course  in  America  excited  my  ad 
miration,  and  your  career  since  your  return  has  gained 
my  confidence.  Especially  do  I  approve  your  conduct 
toward  your  brother." 

The  Bishop  started.  He  was  embarrassed.  The  color 
rushed  to  his  face.  He  exclaimed  hastily: 

"May  it  please  your  Majesty,  it  was  precisely  that 
I  wish  to  explain.  I  thought  you  might  object  to  my 
affording  Euric  a  shelter.  But,  I  met  him  in  the  street, 
blind,  helpless,  pursued  by  dogs,  and  persecuted  by  idle 
boys,  and  I  felt  that  he  was  yet  my  brother.  My  arms 
opened  to  him,  he  fell  on  my  breast  and  I  led  him 
home.  I  must  apologize  for  harboring  one  who  has 
sought  the  life  of  your  Majesty,  and  been  the  foe  of 
your  Empire,  and  indeed,  of  humanity  itself." 

"  Your  fraternal  instinct  directed  you  aright," 
answered  the  Emperor,  with  tenderness  and  animation. 
"Our  affections  are  often  our  best  guides.  I  did  not 
intend  his  punishment  to  extend  beyond  his  loss  of 
sight.  By  giving  him  an  asylum,  you  have  removed 
him  from  popular  sympathy,  and  relieved  my  govern 
ment  of  a  great  embarrassment.  To  testify  my  sane- 


A    RUSSIAN    ARCHBISHOP.  609 

tion  of  your  conduct,  and  to  reward  you  for  the  service 
I  will  soon  impose,  I  promise  you,  when  the  vacancy 
occurs,  that  you  shall  be  Archbishop  of  Moscow,  and 
Patriarch  of  all  the  Russias." 

Nicolai  was  overwhelmed.  Amazement  made  him 
speechless.  He  had  never  even  thought  of  such  a  dig 
nity.  To  have  been  made  an  angel  would  not  have 
caused  him  more  surprise.  At  last,  with  a  supreme 
effort,  he  fell  before  the  Emperor,  clasped  his  knees 
in  a  vain  effort  to  express  his  thanks,  and  had  to  be 
raised  to  the  sofa  by  the  imperial  hand. 

When  he  had  become  sufficiently  composed,  the 
Emperor  inquired : 

"And  how  is  your  brother  Ruric  ?  I  trust  his  pun 
ishment  was  wise,  and  will  be  for  his  own  good  and 
that  of  the  State." 

"  The  Almighty  has  ordered  all,"  cried  the  Bishop,  in 
tears.  "The  eye  of  the  flesh  has  been  sealed  that  the 
eye  of  the  spirit  might  be  opened.  Light  eternal  has 
entered  his  soul.  He  is  penitent,  humble,  and  has 
commissioned  me  to  beg  your  Majesty's  pardon.  If 
permitted,  he  would  do  it  himself  in  the  dust.  His 
whole  time  is  given  to  prayer  and  his  Bible,  and  let 
ters  sent  over  the  world  to  persuade  his  Nihilistic 
friends  that  the  Divine  Law,  forbidding  murder,  is  of 
Supreme  obligation.  Never  was  a  change  more  radi 
cal  and  wonderful.  The  Divine  Grace  has  made  Ruric 

I 

a  child.       His  face  breathes  peace  and  love,   and  he  is, 

indeed,   a  vessel  of  light  and  a  monument    of    mercy." 

"I    congratulate    you,"    answered    his    Majesty,    with 


610  KNIGHTS   OF   LABOR. 

quivering  lip  and  voice.  "  This  is  inexpressibly  grate 
ful  to  me.  He  is  a  Prince  of  the  House  of  Russikoff, 
which  is  even  older  than  our  own.  If  you  deem  me 
worthy,  after  what  I  have  to  say  to  you,  arrange  that 
we  commune  together  with  my  nephew  Alexis,  in  a 
private  chapel  of  St.  Isaac's,  you  yourself  administering 
the  sacrament." 

"This  is,"  exclaimed  the  Bishop,  "an  unexpected 
honor  and  pleasure.  It  will  be  a  memorable  hour  in 
the  history  of  the  Empire.  Oh,  that  all  the  Nihilistic 
enemies  of  your  Majesty  might  thus  kneel  before  the 
cross  ! " 

n  Amen ! "  cried  the  Emperor,  with  a  loud  voice, 
"  Amen  and  amen  !  May  my  foes  find  forgiveness  in 
the:  Divine  Blood.  In  our  Saviour  may  all  strife  be 
hushed  and  the  world  find  peace." 

Alexander  then  took  the  Bishop  by  the  hand  and 
led  him  to  the  great  Imperial  chair.  When  he  was 
seated,  the  Emperor  kneeled  before  him  as  the  repre 
sentative  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Divine  Majesty  of  the 
universe.  He  then  began  in  a  low  tone : 

"  I  need  not  recite  my  plans  for  freedom,  their  fail 
ure,  and  my  rebellious  bitterness,  of  disappointment 
when  the  license  of  my  people  drove  me  to  repressive 
measures.  I  cursed  my  subjects  as  madmen.  I  cursed 
myself  as  a  fool.  I  cursed  my  destiny.  I  even  cursed 
Heaven.  My  enterprise  was  too  great  for  me  and  I 
quailed.  It  required  industry,  devotion,  courage,  faith, 
self-abnegation,  and  I  wished  pleasure  and  self-indul 
gence.  I  should  have  collected  round  me  wise  states- 


A    RUSSIAN    ARCHBISHOP.  611 

f 

men  and  pious  divines,  and  sought  help  in  the  Almighty. 
Here  was  my  capital  sin.  Stung  by  my  conscience,  I 
found  criminal  relief  in  effeminite  pleasure,  and  became 
ensnared  and  infatuated  with  the  Princess  Dolgorouki. 
This  crushed  the  heart  of  my  loyal,  loving  wife.  I  set 
the  law  of  my  will  above  the  law  of  my  God.  A  royal 
worm  despised  the  Sovereign  of  the  universe.  The 
death  of  the  Empress  tore  the  veil  from  my  eyes.  I 
see.  I  confess.  I  mourn  my  sin.  My  purpose  is  to 
do  justice  by  marrying  the  Princess,  and  legitimatiz 
ing  my  unfortunate  children.  Whatever  penance  you 
prescribe,  I  will  perform.  I  pray  your  Absolution  and 
admission  to  the  Holy  Communion." 

The  Bishop  stood  on  the  platform  of  the  chair,  above 
the  Emperor.  He  lifted  his  hands  toward  heaven,  and 
in  a  clear,  sweet,  but  authoritative  tone,  pronounced 
the  Absolution  of  the  Holy  Orthodox  Church.  His 
Majesty  arose,  and  the  men  embraced  in  tears.  It 
is  thus  in  the  cross  that  even  Earth  and  Heaven  will 
find  eternal  liberty,  fraternity,  equality. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  RUSSIAN  CATHEDRAL. 

T  was  a  morning  in  St.  Petersburg, 
in  which  the  brilliance  of  summer, 
and  the  mellowness  of  Autumn 
were  commingled.  Never  had  the 
dome  of  the  great  cathedral  shone 
with  a  more  effulgent  glory. 
The  cross  above  it,  standing  in  the  crescent, 
sparkled  with  a  living  light.  Within 
the  vast  edifice  was  an  atmosphere  of  joy. 
The  faces  of  the  saints  and  angels  pictured 
over  the  altar,  or  smiling  in  marble  from 
niche  and  column,  seemed  encircled  with 
a  halo  of  celestial  peace.  Indeed,  the 
whole  cathedral  breathed  some  bliss  too  deep  to  be 
voiced  in  sound.  Silent,  as  the  blaze  above  the  altar, 
was  this  joy  in  souls. 

The  source  and  center  of  this  divine  feeling  was  a 
small,  private  chapel.  There  the  Bishop  of  Novgorod 
was  in  the  act  of  administering  the  Holy  Communion. 
He  had  just  received,  and  was  now  imparting.  His 
gorgeous  episcopal  robes  gave  dignity  to  his  office,  and 
before  him,  between  Prince  Alexis  on  his  right,  and 
Prince  Ruric  on  his  left,  kneeled  the  Majesty  of  Russia. 


THE     RUSSIAN     CATHEDRAL.  613 

Here,  in  the  Blood  of  the  Cross,  were  quenched  the 
feuds  of  ages.  Monarch  and  Nihilist  had  become  one 
in  their  Saviour.  Hate  was  turned  into  love,  and 
Heaven  smiled  over  earth. 

When  the  Communion  ended  with  the  Benediction 
of  Peace,  the  music  of  the  choir  and  organ  burst  forth, 
flooding  the  edifice  with  joyful  harmonies. 

Kussia  never  beheld  a  more  magnificent  spectacle. 
Emperor,  Princes,  Dukes,  Counsellors,  Generals,  were 
there  in  the  splendors  of  rank  and  office.  The  beauty 
and  the  chivalry  of  the  land  were  represented,  brilliant 
with  all  Russia  could  command.  It  was  one  of  the 
grand  days  of  the  Empire.  In  the  midst  of  all,  appeared 
before  the  Chancel,  the  Prince  Stewart  Gallitzin  Orloff, 
and  the  Princess  Marie  Alexander  Romanoff.  Her  father 
gave  away  the  Bride,  and  the  Archbishop  Nicolai  said 
the  service.  In  that  marriage,  the  old  empire  and  the 
young  republic  were  united  in  a  new  and  lasting 
bond.  Weeping,  unobserved,  behind  a  pillar,  and  hap 
piest  of  the  throng,  stood  Prince  Ruric,  once  the  blind 
Nihilist,  now  the  illuminated  Christian. 


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LIBRARY,  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  DAVIS 

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Leavitt,  John  McDowell,  182U- 

Kings  of  capital  and  knights  of  labor 
Boston,  Hascall,  Guething  Ccl885, 

613  p.  illus. 


I.  Title. 


iS 


